Findings published online in the journal JAMA Surgery suggest that new persistent opioid use following surgery is more likely to be associated with behavioral and pain disorders than type of surgical procedure. 

The researchers reviewed information on 36,177 adult patients from a nationwide insurance claims database and found that 29,068 (80.3 percent) underwent minor surgical procedures and 7,109 (19.7 percent) underwent major procedures. They noted that rates of new persistent opioid use were similar across cohorts, and ranged from 5.9 percent to 6.5 percent. Incidence of new persistent opioid use in a nonoperative control cohort was 0.4 percent. The researchers found that an increased likelihood of new persistent opioid use was associated with preoperative tobacco use, alcohol and substance abuse disorders, mood disorders, anxiety, and preoperative pain disorders. Learn more...