Association of preoperative opioid use with post-discharge outcomes: Increased pain and worse clinical and patient-reported outcomes

Patients with preoperative opioid exposure experienced higher pain scores 30 days after surgery compared to opioid-naïve individuals. As opioid exposure increased, the probability of reporting moderate to severe pain also increased. Furthermore, clinical outcomes such as ED visits, readmissions, and reoperations within 30 days, as well as patient-reported outcomes like satisfaction, regret, and quality of life, were worse with higher preoperative opioid exposure. This study highlights the negative impact of preoperative opioid use on postoperative recovery.