Development of Multimodal Analgesia Pathways in Outpatient Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery and Association With Postoperative Opioid Prescription Patterns

Abstract

Adoption and adherence to the MMA protocol increased substantially over the study period for patients undergoing thyroid and parathyroid surgery and was associated with a simultaneous significant decline in prescription of postoperative opioid analgesics. Use of nonopioid multimodal agents, incorporating NSAIDs, was safe and did not lead to increased incidence of bleeding. Availability of effective nonopioid MMA pathways may favorably influence physician prescribing practices and avoid unnecessary opioid prescriptions.