Understanding how stopping medications for opioid use disorder after surgery affects recovery.
Official title: The Impact of Discontinuing Medications for Opioid Use Disorder After Surgery: Evaluating Predictors and Outcomes to Guide Perioperative Care
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11138209 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at what happens when people with opioid use disorder stop their medication after having surgery, and it aims to find out why this happens and how it affects their recovery, so we can help doctors better support these patients during and after their operations.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2025 |
| Project end | April 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $192,780 |
| NIH project number | 1K08DA060977-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11138209 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals with opioid use disorder who are scheduled to undergo surgical procedures.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have opioid use disorder or are not undergoing surgery may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the effects of discontinuing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in patients who undergo surgery. It aims to identify the factors that lead to patients stopping their MOUD after surgical procedures and how this discontinuation impacts their recovery and overall health. By analyzing data from surgical patients with opioid use disorder, the study seeks to develop a risk calculator to predict who is likely to stop their medication and the potential adverse outcomes that may follow. The goal is to create better guidelines for managing these patients during the perioperative period.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved care strategies that help patients with opioid use disorder maintain their treatment during and after surgery, reducing the risk of relapse and other negative health outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that maintaining medications for opioid use disorder during stressful events can improve patient outcomes, suggesting that this approach may be beneficial.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dixit, Anjali Ashish — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Dixit, Anjali Ashish
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Improving perioperative care for adults with opioid use disorder
A study to improve pain management and reduce opioid-related harms for adults with opioid use disorder who are having surgery.
-
Better surgery and pain care for people with opioid use disorder
This project will develop and try care pathways to help adults with opioid use disorder manage pain and reduce opioid-related harms around the time of surgery.
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Improving care for patients with opioid use disorder during surgery
This study is looking to improve how we manage pain for people with opioid use disorder who are having surgery, by understanding their specific challenges and finding better ways to help them feel comfortable after their procedures.
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Systems analysis to improve opioid use disorder care after jail release (SAIA-MOUD)
A program to help people with opioid use disorder get better, faster, and safer care after they leave jail.
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Precise epigenetic drugs for opioid addiction
A tiny, targeted drug approach is being developed to help people with opioid use disorder by rewriting the epigenetic signals in the brain to reduce cravings and relapse risk.
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Increasing Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder for Unhoused Montanans
This project helps unhoused people in Montana get life-saving medicines for opioid use disorder through clinics connected to syringe service programs, a nurse-led MOUD model, and peer support.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.