Association between postoperative nasogastric tube retention duration and total postoperative opioid consumption in patients undergoing minimally invasive esophagectomy

Minimally invasive esophagectomy is the preferred treatment for esophageal cancer. However, postoperative opioid analgesics are commonly used, and a nasogastric tube (NGT) is usually retained after surgery. There are few studies on the correlation between postoperative NGT retention duration and total postoperative opioid consumption. This study investigates the correlation between postoperative opioid consumption and NGT retention duration in patients undergoing minimally invasive esophagectomy. This single-center retrospective cohort study collected data from patients with esophageal cancer who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy at the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Putian University from January 2020 to December 2024. A total of 168 patients were included and divided into groups based on whether the NGT retention duration exceeded 7 days. The total postoperative opioid consumption was calculated and converted to daily oral morphine equivalent doses. Univariate analysis showed that postoperative hospital stay, NGT retention duration, fasting days, ICU stay, and postoperative complication grade were significantly correlated with postoperative morphine dose. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that compared with the group with NGT retention duration ≤ 7 days, the group with NGT retention duration > 7 days had an average increase of 77.13 mg in postoperative morphine consumption (95% confidence interval: 31.62–122.65, P = .001). After adjusting for all covariates, the β value and 95% CI were 52.71 (3.84–101.59). Subgroup analysis and curve fitting results showed a significant linear positive correlation between NGT retention duration and total postoperative morphine consumption ( P for overall = .001). There is a significant linear positive correlation between postoperative opioid consumption and NGT retention duration in patients undergoing minimally invasive esophagectomy. Clinicians should pay attention to the impact of NGT retention duration on postoperative pain. By optimizing postoperative management strategies and reducing unnecessary NGT retention duration, the quality of postoperative recovery can be improved.