PHILADELPHIA, PA — New research highlights a critical connection between the size of initial opioid prescriptions and prolonged use following hand and upper extremity surgeries. This underscores the need for safer prescribing practices. The study shows that 30% of patients require additional opioid prescriptions, and 14% continue use months after surgery. Surgeons play a pivotal role in addressing the opioid crisis.
The study, titled “Larger Perioperative Opioid Prescriptions Lead to Prolonged Opioid Use After Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery: A Multicenter Analysis,” examines how surgeons’ prescribing habits impact prolonged opioid use. It was organized by the Rothman Opioid Foundation. The findings indicate that larger initial prescriptions lead to extended opioid use post-surgery.
“These findings could represent potentially modifiable risk factors for surgeons to help prevent the development of persistent opioid use in their patients after surgery by using smaller and more customized opioid prescriptions,” said Dr. Asif Ilyas, co-author of the study. He is President of The Rothman Opioid Foundation, a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University, and an Associate Dean of Clinical Research at the Drexel University College of Medicine in Pennsylvania.
This retrospective study was conducted across three academic institutions in Philadelphia. It included patients who underwent hand and upper extremity surgeries. Opioid prescription data was obtained from the Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Program website.
“We recommend surgeons adopt and use strategies that have been proven to decrease postoperative opioid use, including preoperative patient counseling, multimodal pain regimens, and opioids tailored to specific surgeries that avoid inadvertent over-prescribing,” added Ilyas.
Co-authors of the study include Clay Townsend, Matthew Sherman, Dr. Hesham Abdelfattah, Dr. Ryan Judy, Dr. Justin Ly, Nick Elmer, Dr. Mark Solarz, Dr. Christine Conroy, and Dr. Katharine Criner-Woozley. The study is published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Global Research and Reviews.
The publication can be found at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36734644/.
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