Risk-factors for continuous long-term use of prescription opioid drugs 3 years after hysterectomy: A nationwide cohort study

Introduction: The widespread misuse of prescription pain medication, including opioids, has serious public health implications. Postoperative pain is a risk factor for persistent or chronic pain unless treated effectively. There are only a few studies that have assessed the use of opioid-containing drugs after gynecological surgery and most of these usually have a short follow-up period. The aim of this study was to identify risk-factors for long-term use of prescription opioid drugs following hysterectomy.

Material and methods: We performed a nationwide cohort study based on prospectively collected data. Information from two population-based registers, the Swedish National Quality Register of Gynecological Surgery and the Swedish National Drug Register, was linked. The study population consisted of women with benign disease undergoing a total hysterectomy from 1 January 2012 until 31 December 2015. To identify long-term changes in prescription of opioids, individual data were collected from 1 year prior to to 3 years after surgery between 2011 and 2018. Data analysis was performed using multivariable logistic regression models.

Results: The population included 17 385 women having had hysterectomy for benign disease. Of these women, 4233 (24.4%) were prescribed analgesics continuously for 3 years postoperatively and 1225 (7.1%) used opioids long term. Perioperative predictors of opioid use 3 years after surgery included a diagnosis of adenomyosis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-2.7) and preoperative use of opioids (aOR 29.6, 95% CI 19.7-44.4), psycho- (aOR 3.5, 95% CI 2.4-5.0) and neuroactive drugs (aOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0-3.1). For women with no opioid prescription preoperatively (n = 260, 1.5%), mild (aOR 2.8, 95% CI 1.1-7.3) and severe (3.0% vs 6.2%: aOR 6.4, 95% CI 1.4-20.0) postoperative complications and preoperative prescription of psychoactive drugs (aOR 4.6, 95% CI 1.9-10.7) were associated with long-term use of drugs containing opioids.

Conclusions: Long-term use of prescription opioids after hysterectomy is common and is, among other risk factors, strongly associated with preoperative use of opioids, as well as psychoactive drugs and adenomyosis. To avoid opioid misuse disorders among women at risk for long-term opioid drug prescriptions after hysterectomy, further studies and strategies are needed.