Video education to promote safe opioid use after breast reconstruction

SAVE Trial: SAfe Opioid Use Video Education

Not applicable Interventional University of Utah · NCT07044583

This trial tests whether a short educational video about opioid use and proper disposal reduces post-discharge opioid use in women having abdominally based autologous free-flap breast reconstruction.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment68 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexFemale
SponsorUniversity of Utah Academic / other
Locations1 site (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Trial IDNCT07044583 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This single-institution randomized controlled trial enrolls adult women undergoing abdominally based autologous free-flap breast reconstruction after mastectomy and randomizes them to view a standardized postoperative opioid education video or receive usual care. The primary outcome is total post-discharge opioid use, measured from patient reports and prescription data. Patients with chronic preoperative opioid use, revision procedures, or multiple concurrent procedures are excluded. The intervention is designed to be easy to incorporate into routine postoperative workflows and to inform opioid prescribing guidelines for this population.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adult female patients (age 18+) scheduled for abdominally based autologous free-flap breast reconstruction after mastectomy for cancer or prophylaxis, who are not chronic opioid users and are not having revision or multiple concurrent procedures, are ideal candidates.

Not a fit: Patients with documented chronic opioid use before surgery, those undergoing revision reconstruction or multiple simultaneous procedures, or patients who cannot view the video are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could reduce unnecessary opioid use after reconstruction and help shape safer, data-driven prescribing guidelines.

How similar studies have performed: Brief educational interventions in other surgical populations have shown reductions in opioid prescribing and use, but this is the first randomized effort focused specifically on abdominal free-flap breast reconstruction.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Female patients 18 years of age or older
* Patients undergoing abdominally based autologous free flap breast reconstruction after mastectomy for breast cancer or cancer prophylaxis

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients undergoing reoperations such as autologous breast reconstruction as a revision procedure following failed implant-based reconstruction
* Patients undergoing multiple procedures such as mastectomy and immediate reconstruction
* Patients with documented chronic opioid use prior to procedure, chronic pain condition

Where this trial is running

Salt Lake City, Utah

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Breast ReconstructionBreast Cancer
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.