Opioid Use before Hip or Knee Surgery Can Mean Trouble

The AAHKS Patient and Public Relations Committee has published an article for patients that addresses the use of opioids for osteoarthritis pain in the weeks and months leading up to hip or knee replacement surgery. Reviewed by the AAHKS Evidence Based Medicine Committee and the special task force on opioids, the article explains what opioids are, why they are dangerous and how they adversely affect surgical outcomes. “Opioids are not a viable treatment option for the vast majority of patients,” the article advises. Read the article.