Bariatric surgery patients at risk for new prolonged opioid use

Editor's Note

Bariatric surgery patients have a much higher rate of newly persistent postoperative opioid use than general surgery patients, finds this study presented October 23 at the American College of Surgeons 2017 Clinical Congress in San Diego.

Of 14,063 bariatric surgery patients in the Michigan Bariatric Surgery Collaborative who were surveyed, 73% said they had not taken opioids in the year before surgery. Of these opioid-naïve patients, 8.8% reported that they were still using opioids 1 year after surgery.

This rate of newly persistent opioid use was 46% higher than that reported by opioid-naïve general surgery patients.

Because of the known risk of cross-addiction to alcohol and illicit drugs in bariatric surgical patients, providers should pay special attention to postoperative opioid use, the authors say.

Bariatric Surgical Patients at Risk for Newly Persistent Opioid Use

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