A Pilot Study of the Feasibility of Preoperative Opioid Tapering Before Spine Surgery Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Measuring Postoperative Outcomes
Thomas Jefferson University
Summary
This is a pilot study in which patients taking opioids chronically who are scheduled for spine surgery at least 4 weeks in advance will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: opioid tapering with education alone or opioid tapering with education plus cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The primary objective is to determine the proportion of each group that is successful in achieving their opioid tapering goals by the time of surgery.
Description
The perioperative period represents a particularly problematic time for opioid-dependent patients. Perioperative pain is often difficult to control, with opioid tolerance, opioid-induced hyperalgesia, and withdrawal making management a challenge. In addition to these short-term challenges, opioid-dependent patients experience poorer outcomes after surgery, including both early and late complications, emergency room visits, infections, and reoperations. Spine surgery in opioid-tolerant patients increases the risk for prolonged postoperative opioid use. This risk is in addition to the risk of pr…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion: * at least 18 years old * scheduled for major spine surgery (i.e. at least 1 level of fusion) with hospital admission of at least one night * scheduled for spine surgery at least 4 weeks ahead of time * takes between 40 and 200 oral morphine equivalents daily Exclusion: * inability to use a computer or tablet for telemedicine encounters * non-English-speaking * inability to complete assessments * positive screen on the Columbia Suicide Screening Assessment
Interventions
- OtherOpioid tapering with CBT and education
Patients in the opioid tapering plus CBT group will set up an initial meeting with the pain physician within a few days of enrollment to set the tapering schedule. They will also have two CBT appointments set up to complete via telemedicine during the time between enrollment and surgery.
- OtherOpioid tapering with education alone
Patients in this group will be instructed to continue their opioids at the same doses and frequencies they were taking up through the day of surgery. They will set up an initial meeting within a few days of enrollment with the chronic pain physician to determine the tapering schedule which will occur over 4 weeks or more leading into surgery. The patient and pain physician will collectively agree on a tapering schedule.
Location
- Thomas Jefferson University HospitalPhiladephia, Pennsylvania