Dr. Jay Buys’ Study Selected as July Editors' Choice in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine
We’re proud to share that a new study led by Dr. Jay Buys has been published as the July Editors’ Choice in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine. The article, titled “Postsurgical opioid prescribing among veterans using community care for orthopedic surgery at non-VA hospitals compared to a VA hospital with a transitional pain service: a retrospective cohort study,” offers timely and important insight into how care settings influence opioid use after surgery.
The study compares opioid prescribing patterns among veterans who underwent orthopedic joint surgery either at the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center—where a transitional pain service is integrated into patient care—or at non-VA community hospitals. Using data from 562 veterans between 2018 and 2021, the team analyzed opioid prescriptions at discharge, through 90 days post-surgery, and whether veterans continued to fill opioid prescriptions after 90 days.
The findings are striking:
- Veterans who had surgery at non-VA hospitals received significantly more opioid tablets at discharge (median 40 vs. 30 tablets) and over the 90-day postoperative period (median 60 vs. 35 tablets) than those treated at the VA hospital.
- Only a small fraction of patients treated at the Salt Lake City VA continued to fill opioid prescriptions beyond 90 days, with an odds ratio of 0.06, indicating a dramatically lower likelihood of persistent opioid use.
These results underscore the value of transitional pain services in reducing opioid exposure and promoting safer recovery after surgery.
Congratulations to Dr. Buys on this important and widely recognized contribution to improving veteran care and addressing the ongoing opioid crisis.