The Adolescent Surgery Experience (ASE): a survey-based prospective cohort study to measure risk factors for persistent opioid use
Authors' conclusion
Over time, postoperative non-surgical site pain, difficulty sleeping, depression, and anxiety declined but remained common.
Study context
- Population
- Opioid-naive adolescents without chronic pain undergoing procedures with anticipated mild, moderate, or severe postoperative pain, June 2022–May 2023completed baseline survey
- Participants
- 500 adolescents
- Outcome
- Characteristics associated with persistent opioid use, incl. non-surgical site pain, difficulty sleeping, depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7)
- Follow-up
- Over 5 months after surgery
Methodological detailssurvey-based
- Survey-based
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Risk factors at end of study · End of study
Regular non-surgical site pain
16.7%
n=47
Difficulty sleeping
20.6%
n=58
Persistent depression symptoms
15.7%
Persistent anxiety symptoms
15.3%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Baseline characteristics
- Depression
- 21.1%
- Anxiety
- 37.4%
- Prior-year substance use
- 16.6%
Outpatient opioid prescription (procedures with severe pain)
- Received outpatient opioid prescription
- 93.4%
- Doses prescribed, median (IQR)
- 18 (12-25)
Original publication
The Adolescent Surgery Experience (ASE): a survey-based prospective cohort study to measure risk factors for persistent opioid use. BJA Open. Published 15 October 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →