Impacts of Oliceridine versus Sufentanil on the Quality of Postoperative Recovery in Elective Gynecological Laparoscopic Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

In 30 seconds

This single-centre randomized controlled trial compared patient-controlled intravenous analgesia with oliceridine or sufentanil in 136 women aged 18–65 years undergoing elective laparoscopic gynecological surgery. The primary outcome was Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) on postoperative day 1. In the intention-to-treat analysis, adjusted QoR-15 scores were 11.94 points higher with oliceridine than sufentanil (95% CI 10.02–13.86; p < 0.001), exceeding the stated 6-point minimal clinically important difference. Oliceridine was also associated with differences in other recovery measures and a lower incidence of opioid-related adverse events.

Key findings

• Adjusted postoperative day 1 QoR-15 scores were 11.94 points higher with oliceridine than sufentanil (95% CI 10.02–13.86; p < 0.001).
• The between-group QoR-15 difference exceeded the study’s 6-point minimal clinically important difference threshold.
• Groups differed in postoperative day 1 OBAS, time to first flatus and ambulation, hospital discharge duration, and QoR-15 scores on days 2 and 3.
• Oliceridine was associated with a lower incidence of opioid-related adverse events than sufentanil.

Why it matters

Postoperative recovery encompasses more than pain scores, including gastrointestinal recovery, mobility, and readiness for discharge. In this trial, oliceridine-based analgesia was associated with better patient-reported recovery and differences in several functional outcomes compared with sufentanil. These findings add comparative evidence for analgesic strategies in elective gynecological laparoscopy, while remaining specific to the population and setting studied.

What to keep in mind

The study was single-centre and included relatively young, healthy women undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery, limiting generalizability to other populations and procedures.