Patients on Buprenorphine Formulations Undergoing Surgery

AbstractPurpose of ReviewTo review the pharmacology of buprenorphine, the evolution of buprenorphine dosing recommendations, and the current literature regarding its recommendations for the perioperative period.Recent FindingsThere is a consensus that for all surgeries, buprenorphine should be continued throughout the perioperative period. If the surgery is a minimal to mild pain surgery, no dose adjustment is needed. There is no clear consensus regarding moderate to severe pain. With all surgeries, multimodal analgesia should be utilized, with regional anesthesia when possible.SummaryPatients taking buprenorphine should continue their buprenorphine perioperatively; whether to decrease or maintain dosing is up for debate. Multimodal analgesia should also be used throughout the perioperative period, and communication between the patient and all provider teams is of the utmost importance to provide adequate analgesia during the perioperative period, as well as to arrange safe analgesia upon discharge.
Source: Current Pain and Headache Reports - Category: Neurology Source Type: research