Perioperative Pain Control Tools for Surgeons

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were nearly 40,000 opioid-related deaths in the U.S in the last year alone. These numbers have increased considerably for a variety of reasons, and the growing role of prescription drug abuse has been widely recognized. There has also been increasing consciousness of the lack of dedicated and formalized training dedicated to prescription of analgesics, particularly among surgical trainees and practicing surgeons. Recent studies demonstrate that only a small minority of training programs mandates any opioid prescribing education, despite the fact that nearly all programs allow trainee prescription of opioids on an outpatient basis. Therefore, it is not surprising that despite a growing body of literature illustrating the value of opioid alternatives and adjuncts, practicing surgeons in all specialties largely ignore these evidence-based practices and continue to prescribe opioids in situations for which alternatives are proven, safe, and effective.