Opioid Sparing Practices in Surgery: Acute Management of Postoperative Pain

Presented by Michael Sarap, MD, FACS
(Recorded April 2019)

Opioid dependence, overdoses and opioid-related deaths constitute a major public health crisis. A definite percentage of surgical patients become dependent upon opioids after their post-surgical pain has resolved. Diversion of unused opioid pain medications are another source of opioid addition in our communities. Multimodal use of non-opioid medications for surgical patients can significantly decrease the number of opioids utilized for both the inpatient and outpatient post-surgical patient. The webinar discusses the extent of the opioid problem in the US and describes the available non-opioid alternatives for surgical patients.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the extent of the opioid problem in the US
• Learn how to assess patients pre-operatively for potential post-op opioid dependency
• Discuss the various anesthetic techniques and non-opioid medications that can decrease opioid needs in the post-operative patient
• Re-examine our understanding of the need for opioids in the surgical patient after discharge.

More about Michael Sarap

Michael Sarap has worked as a General Surgeon in Cambridge, Ohio for 31 years. He attended the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed surgical training at Marshall University College of Medicine. He is senior partner in a three-person surgical group providing general, vascular, trauma and endoscopic surgical services for patients in southeastern Ohio.

Dr Sarap is an active member of multiple professional organizations. He has served as a Governor of the American College of Surgeons and is currently the Chair of the ACS Advisory Council on Rural Surgery. He also serves as an Advanced Trauma Life Support Course Instructor. Sarap is Chairman of the Department of Surgery and Cancer Committees and Director of the Breast Care and Colorectal Cancer Teams at his medical center. Dr Sarap is the Commission on Cancer Physician Liaison Program State Co-Chair for Ohio. He is a founding member of the nationally recognized local Tina Kiser Cancer Concern Coalition. Dr Sarap is a member of the American College of Surgeons Opioid Workgroup and served as a panelist at the 2018 Clinical Congress discussing non-opioid alternatives in surgical patients.

Sarap has been the recipient of numerous local, regional and national awards including Teaching Resident of the Year (twice) during his training, local newspaper Person of the Year in 1994, Top Eight Young Physicians in Ohio by the Ohio State Medical Association in 1995, American Cancer Society Volunteer of the Year in 2006, Commission on Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Achievement Awards in 2006 and 2009 and the Chamber of Commerce Sidlo Standard of Excellence for Vision, Leadership and Legacy Award in 2008. The American Cancer Society (local unit) honored Dr Sarap with the President’s Award in 2013 and the Excellence in Mission Award (East-Central Division) in 2013, 2014 and 2015. He also received the American College of Surgeons Ohio Chapter Distinguished Service Award in 2014 and the Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award in 2015. He was honored as Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Distinguished Invited Lecturer and Commission on Cancer Outstanding State Chair Award in 2018.