Factors Behind Persistent Opioid Use After Gynecologic Surgery

Receipt of opioids after surgery substantially raises risk for persistent use (defined as ongoing use 90–180 days later). To identify which procedures and which patients are associated with highest risk, investigators reviewed U.S. claims-based data on 730,000 women who underwent gynecologic surgery from 2009 to 2016. The percent of women receiving perioperative opioids ranged from 37% (dilatation and curettage; D and C) to 80% (minimally invasive hysterectomy). Opioids were more likely to be given to younger women; those with commercial insurance; those with a history of depression, anxiety, or prior substance use disorder; and those residing outside the northeast.

In all, 6.8% of women had new persistent opioid use, with rates ranging from…