Study: Risk for chronic opioid use associated with certain surgical procedures

Seven common surgical procedures are associated with increased risk of chronic opioid use after the procedure, but the overall risk is still less than 0.5% for most of the procedures examined, according to a study reported online today by JAMA Internal Medicine. The results “suggest that primary care clinicians and surgeons should monitor opioid use closely in the postsurgical period,” but “should not be taken as advocating that patients forgo surgery out of concerns for chronic opioid use,” the authors said. The study analyzed a sample of health claims for privately insured patients who received one of 11 surgical procedures from 2001 through 2013 and had not filled a prescription for an opioid in the 12 months before the procedure. It found increased risk of chronic opioid use by opioid-naïve patients for seven of the procedures: total knee arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty, open cholecystectomy, simple mastectomy, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, open appendectomy, and cesarean delivery. The AHA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month released a one-page resource to help hospital patients who may be prescribed opioids before discharge discuss the risks and benefits of these medications with their health care provider.