2024 COA Annual Meeting: Narcotic sparing multimodal anesthesia versus standard of care anesthesia for hallux valgus patients undergoing a percutaneous distal metatarsal osteotomy: a randomized controlled trial

One hundred fourteen patients with hallux valgus were randomized to receive either narcotic-sparing multimodal anesthesia (n=56) or standard anesthesia (n=58). Outcomes of interest included the consumption of short-acting narcotics post-operatively, pain levels (measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS)), number of daily steps, and hours of sleep per night. Outcomes were assessed at 24, 48, and 72 hours, and 7 days post-surgery. Overall, the results of the study revealed that the narcotic-sparing group consumed significantly fewer short-acting narcotics compared to the standard care group. The study suggests that multimodal anesthesia significantly reduces the need for short-acting narcotics while maintaining effective pain control, highlighting its potential to influence prescribing practices amid the narcotic epidemic.