Objective:

To evaluate prescription fills at multiple postoperative intervals for robotic-assisted, laparoscopic, and open ventral hernia repair, stratified by hernia type.

Approach:

• Study Design: A retrospective cohort study using the Merative™ MarketScan® Research Databases to analyze opioid prescription fill outcomes following ventral hernia repair.
• Study Population: Included opioid-naïve adults undergoing outpatient anterior abdominal hernia repair from January 2018 to December 2022, with exclusions for incomplete data and pre-existing chronic pain or opioid dependence.
• Exposure Variable: Surgical approach categorized as robotic-assisted, laparoscopic, or open ventral hernia repair.
• Outcome Variables: Primary outcomes included immediate opioid filling during postoperative days 0-14, refilling during days 15-30, and long-term filling during days 90-180.
• Study Covariates: Demographic, clinical, and procedure-related characteristics were collected, including age, sex, income, insurance type, and comorbidities.

Key Findings:

• Prolonged opioid use after surgery is linked to serious adverse effects.
• Opioid prescribing practices often exceed actual consumption.
• No large-scale studies have compared opioid prescription rates among different outpatient ventral hernia repair techniques.

Interpretation:

The study evaluates the relationship between surgical technique and opioid prescription patterns in outpatient ventral hernia repair.

Limitations:

• Retrospective design may introduce bias.
• Data limited to claims records, which may not capture all relevant clinical information.

Conclusion:

The study provides an analysis of opioid prescribing patterns following different surgical approaches for ventral hernia repair.

Sources:

• Merative MarketScan Research Databases