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Case-controlScandinavian journal of pain · 2026

Failed epidural after upper abdominal laparotomy in chronic pain patients with opioid use - a retrospective case control study.

Johnny Dohn Holmgren Andersen, Iryna Khridina, Danja Lykke Kristensen … Eske Kvanner Aasvang

AnesthesiologyCase-control

Epidural failure occurred in 41.3% of chronic pain patients on opioids.

Failed epidural after upper abdominal laparotomy in chronic pain patients with opioid use - a retrospective case control study.

Johnny Dohn Holmgren Andersen et al. · Scandinavian journal of pain · 2026

Purpose

This study evaluated the incidence of failed epidural analgesia, defined as epidural catheter replacement, in opioid-treated chronic pain patients vs. pain-free opioid-naïve controls undergoing elective upper laparotomy.

Methods

With known illegal opioid use were excluded.

Results

how often epidurals needed replacing in chronic pain patients on opioids

More results

The median preoperative daily oral morphine equivalent use among chronic pain patients was 45 mg (IQR, 20-80).

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

Chronic preoperative opioid use for pain significantly increased the rate of postoperative epidural catheter replacement.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

The findings were not explained by external preoperative, technical or surgical factors, supporting further pathophysiological investigations to tailor mechanism based interventions.

Post

Failed epidural after upper abdominal laparotomy in chronic pain patients with opioid use - a retrospective case control study.

Epidural failure occurred in 41.3% of chronic pain patients on opioids.

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