Effect of gabapentin on length of stay, opioid use, and pain scores in posterior spinal fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a retrospective review across a multi-hospital system

BACKGROUND: Gabapentin has been adopted in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols as a means to reduce opioid consumption while maintaining adequate post-operative analgesia. The purpose of our study was to review and compare changes in length of stay, opioid use, and patient reported pain scores after the addition of gabapentin into five, distinct pain protocols for posterior spinal fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. METHODS: A retrospective review was completed using a database of electronic medical data from a single pediatric orthopedic healthcare system that was queried for patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who underwent first-time posterior spinal fusion. Perioperative data including demographics, hospital length of stay, surgical details, opioid use, patient reported pain scores, and non-opioid analgesic use were collected. RESULTS: From December 2012 to February 2019, 682 hospitalizations for posterior spinal fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were identified with complete inpatient data; 49% were administered gabapentin. For the gabapentin cohort, the system saw no statistically significant effect on length of stay or pain averaged over POD#0–3. Opioid use was statistically lower averaged over POD#0–3. Individual sites saw variation on length of stay and opioid use compared to the system. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, system-wide data showed gabapentin containing protocols reduced opioid use while maintaining clinically equivalent analgesia. However, variations of individual site results make it difficult to conclude the degree to which gabapentin were responsible for this effect. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12871-022-01965-2.