HEART OPS CAN LEAD TO OPIOID ABUSE!

HEART surgery leads to longterm opioid use for some patients, new research shows. About one in ten heart surgery patients prescribed an opioid painkiller after a coronary bypass still use the drug more than 90 days later, according to a University of Pennsylvania study. What’s more, those prescribed the highest doses are most likely be long-term opioid users. “Our findings support a muchneeded shift toward decreasing opioid dosages at discharge,” said study lead author Dr. Chase Brown.