Do Surgical Procedures Increase the Risk of Opioid Dependence?
A new study has found that having surgery may expose patients to a higher risk of developing long-term opioid dependence. According to the investigation, around 6% of people who had not taken opioids prior to their operation but were prescribed the drugs as pain-relief afterwards were still receiving them 3-6 months later. This window is much wider than what is normal for post-operation recovery. People who had been smokers, alcoholics or had depressive symptoms or chronic pain conditions before surgery were more likely to continue their prescriptions.
The research team is continuing to study the issue. They hope to develop better processes for surgical teams to predict and manage the risk of long-term opioid use among patients.
Co-author Chad Brummett notes: "These results show the need for education of surgical providers, to understand when it's time to stop writing prescriptions for opioids, and to refer patients for assistance from a chronic pain physician.”
The study was published in JAMA Surgery.