Toronto: Analgesics are not always beneficial as patients recover from minor surgery, and may also be the reason for the increase in the current opioid crisis, according to a study published in The Lancet.
The study led by a team at McGill University in Canada examined the results of 47 randomized clinical trials in discharged patients after undergoing a minor or moderate procedure, ranging from molar extraction to molar foot surgery.
The results showed that prescribing opioids after recovery and getting hospital discharge after surgery does not reduce the intensity of pain, but increases adverse events.
Prescribing opioids was associated with an increased risk of vomiting and other adverse events, such as nausea, constipation, dizziness, and drowsiness.
Dr. Julio Fiore, McGill’s assistant professor, suggested that doctors may consider prescribing opioid-free analgesia in these surgical settings.
Avoiding opioids could, in many cases, improve patients ’recovery experience, while helping to mitigate the well-documented dangers of opioid addiction, Fiore told CBC News.
“We really hope that these findings will encourage changes in prescribing practices. After all, like opioid prescribing, like after discharge, our research showed that it doesn’t seem to be as beneficial to patients as previously thought. “, he said.
However, Fiore noted that more research is needed on prescribing opioids after major surgeries to determine best practices.
Of the studies examined, 30 involved minor procedures (most of which were dental) and 17 involved more moderate procedures on, for example, a shoulder or foot.
Among the most commonly prescribed opioids by surgeons are oxycodone, hydromorphone, tramadol, and codeine, according to the researchers.