No pain is gain: A prospective evaluation of strict non-opioid pain control after pediatric appendectomy

Prospective study of 120 pediatric patients demonstrates that strict non-opioid pain control using alternating acetaminophen and ibuprofen achieves 85-100% parent-reported success rates after laparoscopic appendectomy for nonperforated appendicitis. Pain scores decreased significantly from 4.7 on POD1 to 0.7 by POD5, supporting opioid-sparing protocols as standard care.