A study reveals a major disconnect in postoperative analgesia practices, highlighting a need for surgeons to consider oral routes for efficiency and cost savings.

• Intravenous (IV) analgesia was used in 86% of non-opioid patients and 39% for opioids, while the oral route was utilized in only 1%.
• Transitioning to oral analgesia can cut costs per patient from 822.3 RSD ($7.84) to 124.5 RSD ($1.19), achieving 85% savings.

This shift could enhance recovery times and reduce resource strain in surgical wards.

• Among patients where oral administration was feasible, IV was still the choice for 86% of non-opioid and 38% of opioid cases.