Opioids and Bariatric Surgery: A Review and Suggested Recommendations for Assessment and Risk Reduction

Prescription opioid use has increased significantly over the past 25 years due to a number of factors including efforts to help patients struggling to cope with pain, overprescribing by providers and marketing by pharmaceutical companies. However, opioids provide euphoria as well as analgesia [1]. This euphoria coupled with iatrogenic physical dependence and addictive qualities has contributed to an epidemic of opioid abuse, addiction and overdose [2]. The increased use of opioids for treating non-cancer chronic pain and the increased use of higher-dose and higher bioavailability formulations has added to what the Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Health and Human Services have referred to as an ‘epidemic’ [1].

Source: Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases - November 22, 2018 Category: Surgery Authors: Leslie J. Heinberg, Laruen Pudalov, Hanan Alameddin, Kristine Steffen Source Type: research