Incorporating opioids into the aftercare for eye surgery could potentially heighten the risk of requiring hospitalization, developing an opioid addiction, or even increasing mortality rates.
This conclusion was drawn from a study that analyzed anonymous administrative claims data from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse. Nearly 1.6 million adults who underwent various types of eye surgery in a span of 6.5 years were part of this data. Researchers established three different groups from this data to study the impact of opioid use post-surgery.
The first group consisted of patients who had filled an opioid prescription either a month before or a week after their surgery. The second group was those patients from the first group who had not filled an opioid prescription in the three months preceding their surgery. This group was termed as ‘opioid-naïve.’ The third group was the ‘opioid-naïve’ patients split into sub-groups based on Morphine Milligram Equivalent (MME), a measure of opioid dosage. Patients from all groups were compared with patients who had undergone eye surgery but had not filled an opioid prescription.
The study found that over 300,000 patients had filled an opioid prescription after their eye surgery. Compared to patients who didn’t fill an opioid prescription, those who did were found to have a significantly increased rate of hospitalization, opioid overdose, and opioid abuse/dependence one, three, and six months after surgery. This was also true for patients who were opioid-naïve. A prescription filled for more than 80 MME showed increased rates of hospitalization and a higher rate of opioid abuse/dependence six months post-surgery compared to prescriptions filled for 40 MME or less. Furthermore, filling an opioid prescription was linked to a higher mortality rate.
However, this study had certain limitations. The reliability of the data relies heavily on its accurate and correct input. Plus, just because a prescription was filled doesn’t necessarily mean the patient consumed the medication. The study was also only able to evaluate all-cause mortality, not specifically opioid-related deaths.
In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of careful opioid prescription for post-operative eye surgery patients. While managing postoperative pain is crucial, the potential negative consequences of opioid prescription cannot be ignored. The study’s findings highlight the alarming potential for hospitalization, addiction, overdose, and death after prescribing opioids for pain following eye surgery – even for small doses. It’s crucial for eye surgeons to be aware of these risks and monitor their patients’ opioid use after surgery.
Author Dr. Richard Allen does not disclose any financial relationships.
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