Association of Patient-Reported Anxiety and Pain After Alveolar Bone Grafting

Abstract

To evaluate the role of psychosocial well-being on perioperative pain and opioid use among patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) undergoing alveolar bone grafting (ABG). Retrospective review. Tertiary level craniofacial clinic. 34 patients with CLP (median age: 11.7 years), including 25 (73.5%) unilateral CLP and 9 (26.5%) bilateral CLP, who underwent ABG from 2015 to 2022. ABG using iliac crest bone graft. Patients were prospectively administered four patient-reported psychosocial instruments from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System. Perioperative opioid use in morphine equivalent dosage/kilogram, patient-reported pain scores, and length of hospital stay after ABG. Patient-reported anxiety (r = 0.41, p = 0.02) and depressive symptoms (r = 0.35, p = 0.04) correlated to higher perioperative opioid usage. Multivariable regression models including psychosocial scores, total acetaminophen usage, length of surgery, and other simultaneous surgeries were developed for total opioid usage, patient-reported pain, and length of hospital stay. Patient-reported anxiety was independently predictive of higher perioperative opioid use (β=0.36, p = 0.01) and higher pain scores (β=0.39, p = 0.02), but not length of hospital stay. We identified an association for patient-reported anxiety and perioperative opioid use and pain in a CLP cohort undergoing ABG. Future considerations in preoperative patient and family consultation may be indicated in patients self-reporting higher anxiety in an effort to minimize perioperative opioid usage.