Orthopedic Surgery and its Relationship to the Opioid Epidemic: A Forum and Consensus

Excerpt

Welcome to this special issue of HSS Journal^®. This is indeed a “special” issue: it addresses the current opioid crisis and the role that orthopedic institutions may play in shaping its resolution. The journal’s editorial board recommended that the journal partner with HSS’s Education Institute to hold a forum to address opioid use and misuse in orthopedic surgery, with a particular focus on opioid prescribing following total hip or knee arthroplasty. Seth Waldman, MD, director of the Pain Management Division in HSS’s Department of Anesthesiology and a world-recognized expert in the management of pain and opioid pharmacology, agreed to act as the co-chair of the forum. …