The opioid crisis and the orthopedic surgeon

Opioid use and abuse has become a National crisis in the United States. Many opioid abusers become addicted through an initial course of legal, physician-prescribed medications. Consequently, there has been increased pressure on medical care providers to be better stewards of these medications. In orthopaedic surgery and total joint replacement, pain control after surgery is critical for restoring mobility and maintaining patient satisfaction in the early post-operative period. Prior to the opioid misuse epidemic, orthopaedic surgeons were frequently influenced to “treat pain with pain medications.” Long acting opioids, such as Oxycontin (Purdue Pharma, Stamford, CT), were used commonly.
Source: The Journal of Arthroplasty - Category: Orthopaedics Authors: Tags: AAHKS Symposium Source Type: research