WASHINGTON—Patients who use opioids prior to abdominal wall repair (AWR) have a greater need for opioids while in the hospital, and their stay may be longer than for patients who do not use the drugs before surgery, according to research presented at the Americas Hernia Society 2016 meeting.
“We were beginning to see the impact of opioid use on our patient group, even preoperatively,” said Bruce Ramshaw, MD, professor and chair of surgery at the University of