Research
Opioid use can become long-term following surgery
The Brief
- Opioids are effective for severe pain after surgery, but prolonged use is associated with risks such as dependence and overdose.
- In a thesis, Claes Gedda at Karolinska Institutet's Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, investigated how common long-term opioid use following surgery is.
Why it matters
Long-term opioid use after surgery can lead to dependence and overdose, so clinicians and patients need to understand how often it occurs.
Who’s affected
- surgeons and anaesthesiologists
- patients undergoing surgery
- public health researchers
- #opioids
- #surgery
- #pain management
- #dependence
- #public health
Opioids are effective medicines for severe pain following surgery, but prolonged use is associated with risks such as dependence and overdose. In his thesis, Claes Gedda at the Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, investigated how common it…