Postoperative PainNCT04976387
Post Operative Analgesia and Patient Satisfaction
An observational study of Postoperative Pain and Patient Satisfaction, run by Loma Linda University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
To understand how patients perceive the quality of care they receive when given different post-operative analgesic medications. Specifically the investigators want to assess whether patients who receive non-opioid analgesia following surgery endorse appropriate quality and satisfaction with their care compared to… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 89 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Postoperative Pain, Patient Satisfaction, Analgesia
- How many people
- 160 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 2 Jul 2021to 11 May 2023
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 89 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Study population is comprised of outpatients undergoing specific outpatient surgery procedures as outline in the inclusion criteria, at an LLUHS associated surgical facility.
Who may be able to join
- Patients between the ages of 18 and 89 years of age
- Patients undergoing the following outpatient procedures:
- total or partial thyroidectomy
- parathyroidectomy
- parotidectomy
- submandibular gland excision
Show all 11Show fewer
- neck mass excision
- facial mass excision
- MOHS defect repair
- excision of cutaneous lesions
- Other surgeries may qualify and will be assessed on a case by case basis.
Who cannot join
- Patients under 18 years old or older than 89 years old
- Those allergic to Hydrocodone, Acetaminophen, or NSAIDS
- Patients who are pregnant
- Patients with chronic medical conditions including hepatic/renal disease that precludes their ability to utilize the study medications.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Loma Linda University Health System
Loma Linda, California, 92354
About this study
Official title: Assessing Perceived Quality of Care With Differing Pain Management Protocols After Outpatient Otolaryngology Procedures
To understand how patients perceive the quality of care they receive when given different post-operative analgesic medications. Specifically the investigators want to assess whether patients who receive non-opioid analgesia following surgery endorse appropriate quality and satisfaction with their care compared to those who receive opioid medication.
Read the detailed description
It is routine practice to give analgesic medication after any surgical procedure to provide adequate pain control for patients. However with the increase in abuse of opioid prescription medications, physicians have given a new emphasis to different pain regimens that aim to limit the use of opioid medications. The investigator's previous clinical trial demonstrated that for patients undergoing outpatient otolaryngology procedures, not only does Ibuprofen provide equally effective analgesia compared to opioid medication but it can also decrease overall opioid requirement.
In the current proposed study, the investigators wish to build on previous work. The investigators hypothesize that with the addition of Acetaminophen to Ibuprofen, patients undergoing outpatient otolaryngology procedures may not require opioid analgesia at all. While numerous studies corroborate these results, there is little information about patients' satisfaction with their care in light of a shifting emphasis on decreasing opioid prescription. The primary goal of the current study is to better understand patients' perception of care and level of satisfaction when given opioid versus non-opioid postoperative analgesia. If there is conflicting data with regards to patients reporting adequate pain control but poor satisfaction, then perhaps further public health intervention may be necessary to provide additional patient education to help re-establish appropriate and safe patient expectations for postsurgical analgesia.
- Conditions
- Postoperative Pain, Patient Satisfaction, Analgesia
- Keywords
- Otolaryngology, Head and Neck surgery, Outpatient surgery, Same day surgery, Post operative pain, Patient satisfaction, Post operative analgesia, NSAID, Acetaminophen, Hydrocodone
- Medical subject headings
- Pain, Postoperative, Patient Satisfaction, Agnosia
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1: Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen | This group will take Hydrocodone/acetaminophen 5mg/325mg every 6 hours as needed for pain control If pain is not controlled after 60 minutes then can take Ibuprofen 600mg every 6 hours as needed for additional pain control. | |
| Group 2: Ibuprofen and Hydrocodone/acetaminophen | This group will take Ibuprofen 600mg every 6 hours as needed for pain control If pain is not controlled after 60 minutes then can take Hydrocodone/acetaminophen 5mg/325mg every 6 hours as needed for additional pain control. | |
| Group 3: Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen | This group will take Ibuprofen 600mg every 6 hours as needed for pain control If pain is not controlled after 60 minutes then can take Acetaminophen 650mg every 6 hours as needed for additional pain control. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Patient satisfaction with post operative pain control
Patients will be surveyed if they were satisfied with their pain regimen and efficacy of pain control on a scale of 1-5. With 1 being very unsatisfied and 5 being very satisfied.
Measured: First clinic visit after surgery (7 days)
Secondary outcomes (1)
Efficacy of analgesic regimen and patient attitudes toward treatment they received
Patients attitude and overall experience with regards to their pain management will be assessed via the following questions:
- How many total days do you estimate that you required medication for your pain?
- If you were in a group that received hydrocodone, how many pills do you estimate that you took?
- If you were to have another surgery, would you ask your surgeon for a similar pain regimen?
- Was this surgery more painful than you anticipated?
Measured: First clinic visit after surgery (7 days)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 Jul 2021
- Study start2 Jul 2021
- Primary completion11 May 2023
- Study completion11 May 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (14)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Postoperative PainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case only
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 160 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Loma Linda University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Khanh Nguyen, MD, Principal investigator, Loma Linda University Health System
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04976387
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 52004443
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 15 Jul 2021
- Last updated
- 30 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: There is no plan to share participants data after this study is finished with other researchers.
Publications
Wilson N, Kariisa M, Seth P, Smith H 4th, Davis NL. Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths - United States, 2017-2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020 Mar 20;69(11):290-297. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6911a4.
PubMed 32191688Olfson M, Rossen LM, Wall MM, Houry D, Blanco C. Trends in Intentional and Unintentional Opioid Overdose Deaths in the United States, 2000-2017. JAMA. 2019 Dec 17;322(23):2340-2342. doi: 10.1001/jama.2019.16566.
PubMed 31846008Gomes T, Tadrous M, Mamdani MM, Paterson JM, Juurlink DN. The Burden of Opioid-Related Mortality in the United States. JAMA Netw Open. 2018 Jun 1;1(2):e180217. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.0217.
PubMed 30646062Pruitt LCC, Casazza GC, Newberry CI, Cardon R, Ramirez A, Krakovitz PR, Meier JD, Skarda DE. Opioid Prescribing and Use in Ambulatory Otolaryngology. Laryngoscope. 2020 Aug;130(8):1913-1921. doi: 10.1002/lary.28359. Epub 2019 Nov 27.
PubMed 31774562Dang S, Duffy A, Li JC, Gandee Z, Rana T, Gunville B, Zhan T, Curry J, Luginbuhl A, Cottrill E, Cognetti D. Postoperative opioid-prescribing practices in otolaryngology: A multiphasic study. Laryngoscope. 2020 Mar;130(3):659-665. doi: 10.1002/lary.28101. Epub 2019 Jun 21.
PubMed 31225905Foghsgaard S, Foghsgaard J, Homoe P. Early post-operative morbidity after superficial parotidectomy: a prospective study concerning pain and resumption of normal activity. Clin Otolaryngol. 2007 Feb;32(1):54-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2273.2007.01315.x.
PubMed 17298314Song CM, Ji YB, Bang HS, Kim KR, Kim H, Tae K. Postoperative Pain After Robotic Thyroidectomy by a Gasless Unilateral Axillo-Breast or Axillary Approach. Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech. 2015 Dec;25(6):478-82. doi: 10.1097/SLE.0000000000000204.
PubMed 26422088Ilyas AM, Miller AJ, Graham JG, Matzon JL. Pain Management After Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Double-Blinded Trial Comparing Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, and Oxycodone. J Hand Surg Am. 2018 Oct;43(10):913-919. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2018.08.011.
PubMed 30286851Bartels K, Mayes LM, Dingmann C, Bullard KJ, Hopfer CJ, Binswanger IA. Opioid Use and Storage Patterns by Patients after Hospital Discharge following Surgery. PLoS One. 2016 Jan 29;11(1):e0147972. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147972. eCollection 2016.
PubMed 26824844Wu AW, Walgama ES, Genc E, Ting JY, Illing EA, Shipchandler TZ, Higgins TS. Multicenter study on the effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on postoperative pain after endoscopic sinus and nasal surgery. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2020 Apr;10(4):489-495. doi: 10.1002/alr.22506. Epub 2019 Dec 13.
PubMed 31834679Papoian V, Handy KG, Villano AM, Tolentino RA, Hassanein MT, Nosanov LS, Felger EA. Randomized control trial of opioid- versus nonopioid-based analgesia after thyroidectomy. Surgery. 2020 Jun;167(6):957-961. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2020.01.011. Epub 2020 Feb 29.
PubMed 32127178Nguyen KK, Liu YF, Chang C, Park JJ, Kim CH, Hondorp B, Vuong C, Xu H, Crawley BK, Simental AA, Church CA, Inman JC. A Randomized Single-Blinded Trial of Ibuprofen- versus Opioid-Based Primary Analgesic Therapy in Outpatient Otolaryngology Surgery. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019 May;160(5):839-846. doi: 10.1177/0194599819832528. Epub 2019 Mar 5.
PubMed 30832548Gostian AO, Loeser J, Tholen C, Wolber P, Otte M, Schwarz D, Heindl LM, Balk M, Gostian M. Postoperative pain after tonsillectomy - the value of standardized analgesic treatment protocols. Auris Nasus Larynx. 2020 Dec;47(6):1009-1017. doi: 10.1016/j.anl.2020.05.011. Epub 2020 Jun 12.
PubMed 32536501Hallway A, Vu J, Lee J, Palazzolo W, Waljee J, Brummett C, Englesbe M, Howard R. Patient Satisfaction and Pain Control Using an Opioid-Sparing Postoperative Pathway. J Am Coll Surg. 2019 Sep;229(3):316-322. doi: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2019.04.020. Epub 2019 May 30.
PubMed 31154092
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 30 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Assessing Perceived Quality of Care With Differing Pain Management Protocols After Outpatient Otolaryngology Procedures
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04976387
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 52004443
- Conditions
- Postoperative Pain, Patient Satisfaction, Analgesia
- Keywords
- Otolaryngology, Head and Neck surgery, Outpatient surgery, Same day surgery, Post operative pain, Patient satisfaction, Post operative analgesia, NSAID
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 160 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Loma Linda UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 2 Jul 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 11 May 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 11 May 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 26 Jul 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
To understand how patients perceive the quality of care they receive when given different post-operative analgesic medications. Specifically the investigators want to assess whether patients who receive non-opioid analgesia following surgery endorse appropriate quality and satisfaction with their care compared to those who receive opioid medication.
Detailed description
It is routine practice to give analgesic medication after any surgical procedure to provide adequate pain control for patients. However with the increase in abuse of opioid prescription medications, physicians have given a new emphasis to different pain regimens that aim to limit the use of opioid medications. The investigator's previous clinical trial demonstrated that for patients undergoing outpatient otolaryngology procedures, not only does Ibuprofen provide equally effective analgesia compared to opioid medication but it can also decrease overall opioid requirement.
In the current proposed study, the investigators wish to build on previous work. The investigators hypothesize that with the addition of Acetaminophen to Ibuprofen, patients undergoing outpatient otolaryngology procedures may not require opioid analgesia at all. While numerous studies corroborate these results, there is little information about patients' satisfaction with their care in light of a shifting emphasis on decreasing opioid prescription. The primary goal of the current study is to better understand patients' perception of care and level of satisfaction when given opioid versus non-opioid postoperative analgesia. If there is conflicting data with regards to patients reporting adequate pain control but poor satisfaction, then perhaps further public health intervention may be necessary to provide additional patient education to help re-establish appropriate and safe patient expectations for postsurgical analgesia.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case only
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1: Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen | – | –This group will take Hydrocodone/acetaminophen 5mg/325mg every 6 hours as needed for pain control If pain is not controlled after 60 minutes then can take Ibuprofen 600mg every 6 hours as needed for additional pain control. |
| Group 2: Ibuprofen and Hydrocodone/acetaminophen | – | –This group will take Ibuprofen 600mg every 6 hours as needed for pain control If pain is not controlled after 60 minutes then can take Hydrocodone/acetaminophen 5mg/325mg every 6 hours as needed for additional pain control. |
| Group 3: Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen | – | –This group will take Ibuprofen 600mg every 6 hours as needed for pain control If pain is not controlled after 60 minutes then can take Acetaminophen 650mg every 6 hours as needed for additional pain control. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 89 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Study population is comprised of outpatients undergoing specific outpatient surgery procedures as outline in the inclusion criteria, at an LLUHS associated surgical facility.
Key inclusion criteria (11 listed)
- Patients between the ages of 18 and 89 years of age
- Patients undergoing the following outpatient procedures:
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Patients under 18 years old or older than 89 years old
- Those allergic to Hydrocodone, Acetaminophen, or NSAIDS
- Patients who are pregnant
- Patients with chronic medical conditions including hepatic/renal disease that precludes their ability to utilize the study medications.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Patient satisfaction with post operative pain control
Time frame: First clinic visit after surgery (7 days)
Patients will be surveyed if they were satisfied with their pain regimen and efficacy of pain control on a scale of 1-5. With 1 being very unsatisfied and 5 being very satisfied.
1 secondary outcome
Efficacy of analgesic regimen and patient attitudes toward treatment they received
Time frame: First clinic visit after surgery (7 days)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 30 Mar 2026.
- Background: PubMed 32191688Wilson N, Kariisa M, Seth P, Smith H 4th, Davis NL. Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths - United States, 2017-2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020 Mar 20;69(11):290-297. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6911a4.
- Background: PubMed 31846008Olfson M, Rossen LM, Wall MM, Houry D, Blanco C. Trends in Intentional and Unintentional Opioid Overdose Deaths in the United States, 2000-2017. JAMA. 2019 Dec 17;322(23):2340-2342. doi: 10.1001/jama.2019.16566.
- Background: PubMed 30646062Gomes T, Tadrous M, Mamdani MM, Paterson JM, Juurlink DN. The Burden of Opioid-Related Mortality in the United States. JAMA Netw Open. 2018 Jun 1;1(2):e180217. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.0217.
- Background: PubMed 31774562Pruitt LCC, Casazza GC, Newberry CI, Cardon R, Ramirez A, Krakovitz PR, Meier JD, Skarda DE. Opioid Prescribing and Use in Ambulatory Otolaryngology. Laryngoscope. 2020 Aug;130(8):1913-1921. doi: 10.1002/lary.28359. Epub 2019 Nov 27.
- Background: PubMed 31225905Dang S, Duffy A, Li JC, Gandee Z, Rana T, Gunville B, Zhan T, Curry J, Luginbuhl A, Cottrill E, Cognetti D. Postoperative opioid-prescribing practices in otolaryngology: A multiphasic study. Laryngoscope. 2020 Mar;130(3):659-665. doi: 10.1002/lary.28101. Epub 2019 Jun 21.
- Background: PubMed 17298314Foghsgaard S, Foghsgaard J, Homoe P. Early post-operative morbidity after superficial parotidectomy: a prospective study concerning pain and resumption of normal activity. Clin Otolaryngol. 2007 Feb;32(1):54-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2273.2007.01315.x.
- Background: PubMed 26422088Song CM, Ji YB, Bang HS, Kim KR, Kim H, Tae K. Postoperative Pain After Robotic Thyroidectomy by a Gasless Unilateral Axillo-Breast or Axillary Approach. Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech. 2015 Dec;25(6):478-82. doi: 10.1097/SLE.0000000000000204.
- Background: PubMed 30286851Ilyas AM, Miller AJ, Graham JG, Matzon JL. Pain Management After Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Double-Blinded Trial Comparing Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, and Oxycodone. J Hand Surg Am. 2018 Oct;43(10):913-919. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2018.08.011.
- Background: PubMed 26824844Bartels K, Mayes LM, Dingmann C, Bullard KJ, Hopfer CJ, Binswanger IA. Opioid Use and Storage Patterns by Patients after Hospital Discharge following Surgery. PLoS One. 2016 Jan 29;11(1):e0147972. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147972. eCollection 2016.
- Background: PubMed 31834679Wu AW, Walgama ES, Genc E, Ting JY, Illing EA, Shipchandler TZ, Higgins TS. Multicenter study on the effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on postoperative pain after endoscopic sinus and nasal surgery. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2020 Apr;10(4):489-495. doi: 10.1002/alr.22506. Epub 2019 Dec 13.
- Background: PubMed 32127178Papoian V, Handy KG, Villano AM, Tolentino RA, Hassanein MT, Nosanov LS, Felger EA. Randomized control trial of opioid- versus nonopioid-based analgesia after thyroidectomy. Surgery. 2020 Jun;167(6):957-961. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2020.01.011. Epub 2020 Feb 29.
- Background: PubMed 30832548Nguyen KK, Liu YF, Chang C, Park JJ, Kim CH, Hondorp B, Vuong C, Xu H, Crawley BK, Simental AA, Church CA, Inman JC. A Randomized Single-Blinded Trial of Ibuprofen- versus Opioid-Based Primary Analgesic Therapy in Outpatient Otolaryngology Surgery. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019 May;160(5):839-846. doi: 10.1177/0194599819832528. Epub 2019 Mar 5.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. There is no plan to share participants data after this study is finished with other researchers.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Khanh Nguyen, MD principal investigator
Loma Linda University Health System
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Postoperative Pain and Patient Satisfaction, run by Loma Linda University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 11 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Patient satisfaction with post operative pain control (time frame: First clinic visit after surgery (7 days)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04976387, which also lists 14 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 30 Mar 2026.