Surgeons’ overprescribing habits in the postoperative context have played a key influence in the present opioid crisis. However, recent initiatives, notably in the field of urology, have aided in the reduction of opioid excess. Because of its emphasis on improved recovery, minimally invasive surgery provides a novel approach to addressing opioid misuse in the postoperative phase. Historically, non-urological surgery has been the focus of the bulk of the material defining postoperative opioid usage and its decrease. Recent investigations, however, have revealed that patients who went through urologic operations were administered opioids in the same way as patients in other surgical specialties. Regional anesthetics, better recovery after surgery pathways, and the establishment of procedure-specific opioid prescription guidelines were all used to implement reduction measures. Patients undergoing urologic surgery were at the same risk of opioid overuse and addiction as other types of surgery. However, the widespread use of minimally invasive urological operations, particularly robotic surgery, provides a once-in-a-lifetime chance to minimize postoperative opioid use by multimodal and multidisciplinary protocols and standardizing recommendations.
Reference:link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11934-020-00975-2
