Association Between Preoperative Benzodiazepine Use and Postoperative Opioid Use and Health Care Costs

Key Points Question Is preoperative benzodiazepine use associated with increased postoperative opioid use and health care costs for opioid-naive patients undergoing surgery? Findings In this US national cohort study of 945 561 opioid-naive patients undergoing 1 of 11 surgical procedures, an increased risk for long-term opioid use postoperatively was noted in patients with both long-term and intermittent preoperative benzodiazepine use compared with benzodiazepine-naive patients. Some associations between preoperative benzodiazepine use and increased postoperative opioid dosages and health care costs were also observed. Meaning The findings of this study suggest that, among opioid-naive patients undergoing surgery, preoperative benzodiazepine use may increase the risk of postoperative long-term opioid use and may increase health care costs.