Key result
Removing default pre-op gabapentin is linked to ~13% shorter PACU stays for benign gynecological surgeries.
Why the study?
The study was conducted to address prolonged post anesthesia care unit stays (defined as greater than 120 minutes) in an outpatient benign gynecological surgery division, with perioperative gabapentin identified as a potential contributor.
Does the removal of default pre-operative 600 mg gabapentin reduce PACU stay times in patients undergoing outpatient benign gynecological surgery?
Does the removal of default pre-operative 600 mg gabapentin reduce PACU stay times in patients undergoing outpatient benign gynecological surgery?
Removing default pre-operative gabapentin significantly reduced PACU stay times for outpatient benign gynecological surgeries without negatively impacting pain scores.
A quality improvement project was implemented at a single medical center’s outpatient benign gynecological surgery division to address prolonged post anesthesia care unit (PACU) stays (defined as greater than 120 minutes). Initial barrier analysis within the department identified gabapentin use in the perioperative setting as a possible contributor. The intervention removed the default pre-op order set of 600 mg gabapentin. One-year post-intervention (baseline n = 281, intervention n = 573) it was observed that the average PACU stay time for benign gynecological surgeries was reduced from an average of ~183 to ~159 minutes marking a 12.6% reduction in PACU stay time (p < 0.0001). Gabapentin use decreased from 92.17% to 1.25% with no change in pain scores. After the intervention, there was no longer a statistically significant difference in PACU stay times by age. This intervention successfully decreased PACU stay times, highlighting pathways to advance individualized, age-conscious care through quality improvement interventions.
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Ainooson et al. (2026) studied Outpatient benign gynecological surgery (n=854). Removal of default pre-op order set of 600 mg gabapentin vs. Baseline default pre-op order set of 600 mg gabapentin was evaluated on PACU stay time (12.6% reduction, p=<0.0001). Removing the default pre-operative order of 600 mg gabapentin reduced average PACU stay times for benign gynecological surgeries from ~183 to ~159 minutes (p < 0.0001).
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