Pain Management in Perioperative Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Response to the Opioid Crisis

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present a concise up-to-date review on effective perioperative pain management in Total Joint Arthroplasty (TJA). Multimodal therapy utilizing a “well-patient” concept and an “opioid stewardship” approach is introduced as a current strategy to address the critical worldwide opioid crisis which may be triggered by orthopaedic surgery in many patients. Adopting a tailored opiate pain management plan utilizing best practice criteria has demonstrated to result in minimal use of opioids during the surgical process while attaining the objectives to relieve suffering, achieve early postoperative mobilization, reduce lengths of hospital stay and produce patient satisfaction