Preop opioid use linked to increased costs, worse outcomes

Editor's Note

Opioid use before major abdominal surgery was independently associated with increased postoperative healthcare utilization and morbidity in this study.

Of 2,413 patients analyzed, 502 used opioids preoperatively. After covariate adjustment, opioid users, compared with non-opioid users had:

• higher costs ($26,604 vs $24,263)
• longer lengths of stay (5.9 vs 5.2 days)
• more complications (20% vs 16%)
• more readmissions (10% vs 6%).

Preoperative opioid use is a potentially modifiable risk factor and a target to improve quality and value of surgical care, the authors note.

Objective: To explore the clinical and financial implications of preoperative opioid use in major abdominal surgery. Background: Opioids are increasingly used to manage chronic pain, and chronic opioid users are challenging to care for perioperatively. Given the epidemic of opioid-related morbid...