Postoperative opioid prescribing, use and pain trends following general surgery procedures: a retrospective cohort study among veterans comparing non-opioid versus chronic opioid users.

Non-opioid and chronic opioid users required very few opioid pills following surgery, and patients on chronic opioid therapy quickly returned to their baseline opioid use after a small opioid prescription at discharge. There was no difference in pain recovery between groups. Opioid prescribing guidelines should include patients on chronic opioid therapy and could consider recommending a more conservative prescribing approach.