Abstract
Background Patients that undergo mastectomy for breast cancer with reconstruction may be prone
to prolonged opioid use. As risk factors are not well-established, this article sought
to better understand the risk factors that may be associated with this.
Methods Patients that underwent breast reconstruction between 2010 and 2018 were identified
in PearlDiver, a national insurance claims database. Patient demographics and comorbidities
were elucidated, and various complications were then identified. Descriptive statistics
as well as a multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the association of risk factors
and complications.
Results Breast reconstruction patients of 24,765 were identified from this database. Obesity,
tobacco use, benzodiazepine use, and anticonvulsant use were all associated with prolonged
opioid prescriptions greater than 90 days after both alloplastic and autologous reconstruction.
Conclusion Prolonged opioid use continues to remain a topic of concern, and particularly in
cancer patients that undergo breast reconstruction. Providers should be aware of potential
risk factors for this to reduce this chance following breast reconstruction surgery.
Keywords
prolonged opioid use - breast reconstruction - risk factors
