Feb. 25, 2025 - Planning surgery? Talking to your doctor about pain management beforehand could keep you off the path to long-term opioid use, a risk factor for addiction.
If the operation is of the spine, head, or neck, that goes double for you. People who have these procedures are among the most likely to get "new persistent opioid use," or NPOU, according to a new study from Austria. Other surgeries with higher NPOU rates included knee replacement and removal of part or all of the colon.
"Pain relief after surgery is a key component to successful recovery after surgery," said Mark Bicket, MD, PhD, an expert in pain management after surgery who was not involved in the study. "For patients worried about taking opioids, how to manage pain is an important topic to discuss with your surgeon before your procedure."