Standardizing postoperative pain control for decompression of pediatric Chiari type I malformation by limiting narcotic usage

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a postoperative multimodal pain control protocol on perioperative pain scores in children undergoing decompression for Chiari type I malformation (CM-I).

Methods: This retrospective matched cohort study included patients < 21 years of age who underwent elective suboccipital craniectomy and C1 laminectomy for CM-I with or without duraplasty at a single center from January 2020 to July 2023. A standardized, multimodal postoperative pain protocol was implemented in August 2021 that did not use narcotic patient-controlled analgesia. Pre- and postprotocol cohorts were compared. The primary outcome was average perioperative pain score. Secondary outcomes included postoperative length of stay (LOS), narcotic usage, and antiemetic usage.

Results: Thirty-four children met the inclusion criteria (17 preprotocol, 17 postprotocol). Fifty-three percent were female (18/34). The mean patient age was 7.0 ± 5.0 years. After implementation of the pain protocol, noninferior average pain scores (p = 0.08) and less antiemetic administration (p = 0.048) were found across both surgery types. Equivalent inpatient LOS (p = 0.78), narcotic prescriptions at discharge (p = 0.73), and milliequivalents of morphine used (p = 0.55) were also found. Bone-only decompression was completed in 65% of patients (n = 22/34, 11 in each pre- and postprotocol group) with 12 of 34 undergoing duraplasty (6 in each pre- and postprotocol group). Patients who underwent posterior fossa decompression with duraplasty had a significantly longer LOS (p = 0.003), more overall narcotic usage (p = 0.015), and lower pain scores (p = 0.047) compared with those who underwent decompression without duraplasty.

Conclusions: Patients undergoing a CM-I decompression had noninferior postoperative pain control and required less antiemetic dosing after implementation of a multimodal pain protocol. Neurosurgeons should consider a postoperative multimodal pain regimen for their patients with CM-I who undergo decompression with or without duraplasty.