Study of Exparel in post surgical pain shows reduced opioid usage after dental surgery

Pacira BioSciences announced results of a new analysis of patients undergoing elective third molar extraction with at least one bony mandibular tooth. Patients who received Exparel (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) were prescribed significantly fewer opioids, including refills, compared to those who did not receive the product. Patients in the Exparel treatment group received lower number of total opioid tablets prescribed, including refills, compared to patients in the non-Exparel group (mean [SD] of 6.4 [3.3] tablets vs 15.5 [6.3] tablets, respectively; P<0.0001), as well as fewer additional opioid prescriptions compared to the non-Exparel group (3.3% of patients required a refill vs 7.7% of patients, respectively).

In this retrospective analysis, researchers reviewed data from 600 patients who underwent third molar extractions between 2012 and 2018. Deidentified data from 300 patients who received Exparel were compared to data from 300 patients who did not receive an infiltration of Exparel. Data from two dental clinics, Avon Oral, Facial and Dental Implant Surgery in Avon, CT and Carolinas Center for Oral and Facial Surgery in Charlotte, NC, were pooled for this analysis. The research was presented at the 97th General Session and Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research.