Opioid Requirements after Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery

Background Postoperative analgesia following bariatric surgery is complicated by the high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea which is worsened by systemic opioids. The primary aim of this study is to identify patient factors associated with greater postoperative opioid use in patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Methods A retrospective chart review of 384 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic bariatric surgery from January 2000 to December 2006 was performed. Patient characteristics including demographic and socioeconomic variables, tobacco, or psychotropic medications (i.e., antidepressants) use at the time of surgery, and previous psychiatric hospitalization were analyzed to determine potential associations with regards to opioid requirements and the occurrence of severe pain (>7 on a 0–10 numeric pain scale) during the first 48 h postoperatively. For comparison, all postoperative opioids were converted to oral morphine equivalents. Results Opioid requirements were higher among younger ( P