Perioperative medicine & outcomes
Effects of anaesthesia type on development of persistent postoperative opioid utilisation: a South Korean nationwide cohort study
Main findingResult — go to the resultOdds ratio 2.13 95% CI 1.50–3.01Authors' conclusion
This study found that regional anaesthesia was associated with a reduction in persistent postoperative opioid utilisation, particularly in patients undergoing thoracotomy.
Study context
- Population
- Adults aged ≥ 18 y undergoing one of nine surgical procedures (thoracotomy, THA, TKA, shoulder arthroplasty, TURP, inguinal hernia repair, knee arthroscopy, varicose vein surgery, caesarean section), South Korea
- Participants
- 558,944 adults
- Exposure
- GA vs RA vs combined GA/RA
- Outcome
- Incidence of persistent postoperative opioid utilisation (≥ 10 prescriptions or > 120 days' supply)
- Follow-up
- POD 91 to 365
Methodological detailsnationwide, pairwise propensity score matching
- Nationwide
- Pairwise propensity score matching
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Odds ratio
2.13
95% CI 1.50–3.01
P < 0.001
General anaesthesia vs Regional anaesthesia
OR 2.13 (95% CI 1.50–3.01); P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | OR (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persistent postoperative opioid utilisation, thoracotomy (subgroup)General anaesthesia vs Combined general/regional anaesthesia | 1.47 (1.25–1.74) | P < 0.001 | |
| 0.512Odds ratio (log scale) |
Opioid consumption
- Overall, RA group consumed fewer opioids than the other groups
- In thoracotomy, combined GA/RA group consumed fewer opioids than GA group
Original publication
Effects of anaesthesia type on development of persistent postoperative opioid utilisation: a South Korean nationwide cohort study. Anaesthesia. Published 19 March 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →