Effect of Over the Counter Ibuprofen Dosing after Sinus Surgery for Chronic Rhinosinusitis: A Prospective Cohort Pilot Study.

Introduction: Management of pain following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) often involves intermittent use of opioid medications. Given the current opioid crisis, many surgeons aim to minimize opioid prescriptions. However, surgeons often avoid the use of NSAIDs following ESS out of concern for increased bleeding risk. We sought to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of over the counter dosing of ibuprofen on pain and bleeding rates following ESS.

Methods: Prospective cohort pilot study of patients undergoing ESS. Patients self-selected either control arm (acetaminophen and PRN oxycodone) or intervention arm (alternating ibuprofen with acetaminophen, and PRN oxycodone). Outcome measures included pain (10-point visual analog scale [VAS]), bleeding rate (10-point VAS), and number of opiate pills consumed.

Results: Thirty-nine patients completed the study (15 control and 24 intervention). Overall, patients in the intervention arm reported decreased pain levels at days 1 (-0.9 [95%CI: -2.2, 0.5], 3 (-0.9 [95%CI: -2.3, 0.5]), and 7 (-0.6 [95%CI: -1.8, 0.6]), as well as decreased postoperative bleeding at those same days -0.9 [95%CI: -2.1, 0.4], -0.9 [95%CI: -2.1, 0.4], and -0.7 [95% CI: -1.2, -0.7], compared to controls. Opiate consumption was similar between groups with patients consuming on average four opiate pills (oxycodone 5 mg).

Conclusions: Over the counter dosing of ibuprofen along with acetaminophen may yield better pain control after sinus surgery compared to acetaminophen alone. Additionally, there was no significant difference in epistaxis in the ibuprofen cohort compared to the cohort who did not take ibuprofen. Furthermore, this study showed very few opioid pills were consumed after routine ESS regardless of pain regimen prescribed. A larger trial is needed to make definitive statements on safety and efficacy.

Level Of Evidence: 2b.