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True or False: Plastic Surgeons Should Counsel Against Peri-operative Marijuana Use. An investigation of the impact of cannabis on postoperative narcotic use and complications.
Jaeda Robinson, BS, Raymond Wen, BS, Cristiane Ueno, MD
The Ohio State University College of Medicine
2024-02-01
Presenter: Jaeda Robinson
Affidavit:
I certify that the work presented in this study is original and has not been published in any scientific journals or presented at any major conferences.
Director Name: Cristiane Ueno, MD
Author Category: Medical Student
Presentation Category: Clinical
Abstract Category: Breast (Aesthetic and Recon.)
Increased legalization and use of marijuana within the U.S necessitates clinical understanding of how it may impact peri-operative management and outcomes.There are no current guidelines within the field of Plastic Surgery regarding marijuana usage amongst patients undergoing gender-affirming chest surgery. This study aims to evaluate the implications of cannabis use to provide evidence-based recommendations for pre-operative counseling and post-operative care.
In this study, we conducted a retrospective chart review on patients who underwent gender-affirming chest surgery at The Ohio State University from March 2022 to the present. Peri-operative anesthesia requirements, surgical outcomes, and postoperative narcotic use was compared between patients who self-reported marijuana use and those who did not. Patient demographics, amount of anesthesia medications administered and surgical complications were curated from patients' EMR.
Fifty-eight cases with an average age of 27.6 were included in this preliminary data set. Patients with a history of chronic narcotic use were excluded. Amongst non-users, 47% and 22% of patients reported use of prescribed narcotics and experienced minor complications, respectively. Minor complications included postoperative symptoms that did not require return to the operating room. As it pertains to marijuana users, 39% of patients disclosed use of postoperative narcotics while 17% sustained minor complications.
Despite current progression, marijuana is classified as a schedule I substance with the potential to incite opioid abuse. However, the data above suggests that marijuana use does not negatively impact peri-operative management, specifically pertaining to postoperative narcotic use and complication rates.
