Are postoperative opioids more effective than nonopioids in reducing pain after minor or moderate surgical procedures?

Are postoperative opioids more effective than nonopioids in reducing pain after minor or moderate surgical procedures?

In this well-done systematic review, opioids for managing postoperative pain following minor or moderate surgery were no more effective than nonopioids and caused more adverse effects. None of the studies included major or complex procedures, so the jury is still out for those, but the preponderance of recent data suggest that the verdict is unlikely to be much different.