From the persistence of opioid dependency in patients post-procedure to workforce strain and decline, there are a number of trends putting increased pressure on anesthesiologists and their teams.
Here are three recent studies scaring anesthesiologists:
1. A growing number of patients undergoing major surgery are receiving medication for opioid use disorder, highlighting the need for modernized pain management strategies, according to a forthcoming study in Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
The study, an overview of which was shared with Becker’s in a Jan. 13 news release, analyzed 8.1 million surgical admissions between 2016 and 2022 and found the rate of MOUD use rose from 154.4 to 240.8 per 100,000 procedures during the period. About 80% of patients receiving MOUD were prescribed buprenorphine, which offers safety and pain control advantages compared to other treatments.
2. Organizational issues such as missing equipment, heavy workloads and anesthesia-related delays were among factors surgeons said negatively affect relationships with anesthesiologists, according to a recent study published in Cureus. The cross-sectional study surveyed 76 surgeons who work at university teaching hospitals, regional hospitals and the private sector about collaboration between surgeons and anesthesiologists in the operating room.
3. Anesthesiologists have the highest desire to leave their roles out of all physician specialists, with 40.6% expressing an interest in leaving their current jobs within the next two years, according to a June 2025 report from the American Medical Association.
