A Gathering Storm: Are Perioperative Opioids Problematic

The United States is in the midst of a prescription drug crisis. Each year, over 100 million surgical procedures are performed in the US and routinely opioid use is prescribed for postoperative pain. While the recent CDC guidelines are geared towards outpatient chronic pain management, few concerns have been directed toward the postoperative setting as a potential source of this problem. In this lecture, we will examine the current opioid problem and the evidence suggesting that we should rethink how to care for these patients postoperatively. (Recorded at PAINWeek 2016)