Dr. Mary Daniels and Dr. Scott Cao join the show to discuss the literature surrounding opioid-free versus opioid-based anesthesia and analgesia techniques.

Dr. Scott Cao is currently serving as a chief resident of the MGH anesthesia residency program. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Mary Daniels is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and she is a resident in the anesthesia program. 

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Music by Stephen Campbell, MD.

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References

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Brandal D, Keller MS, Lee C, Grogan T, Fujimoto Y, Gricourt Y, Yamada T, Rahman S, Hofer I, Kazanjian K, Sack J, Mahajan A, Lin A, Cannesson M. Impact of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery and Opioid-Free Anesthesia on Opioid Prescriptions at Discharge From the Hospital: A Historical-Prospective Study. Anesth Analg. 2017 Nov;125(5):1784-1792. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000002510. PMID: 29049123; PMCID: PMC7402216.

Olausson A, Svensson CJ, Andréll P, Jildenstål P, Thörn SE, Wolf A. Total opioid-free general anaesthesia can improve postoperative outcomes after surgery, without evidence of adverse effects on patient safety and pain management: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2022 Feb;66(2):170-185. doi: 10.1111/aas.13994. Epub 2021 Nov 11. PMID: 34724195.

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Zhang Y, Ma D, Lang B, Zang C, Sun Z, Ren S, Chen H. Effect of opioid-free anesthesia on the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. Medicine (Baltimore). 2023 Sep 22;102(38):e35126. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000035126. PMID: 37746991; PMCID: PMC10519493.

Zhou F, Cui Y, Cao L; Opioid-Free Anesthesia Working Group. The effect of opioid-free anaesthesia on the quality of recovery after endoscopic sinus surgery: A multicentre randomised controlled trial. Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2023 Aug 1;40(8):542-551. doi: 10.1097/EJA.0000000000001784. Epub 2023 Jun 29. PMID: 37377372.