Opioid use disorder increases healthcare costs for surgical patients

Emergency surgical patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) demonstrated significantly higher healthcare spending and utilization following discharge compared to those without OUD, indicating a heightened risk of complications. Analysis of 142,726 patients revealed that optimizing the use of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) preoperatively could enhance perioperative care and reduce costs. The findings highlight the critical role of addressing OUD in surgical management to improve patient outcomes and overall healthcare efficiency.