Every patient in America should be screened for marijuana before undergoing surgery, an influential medical panel has recommended.
Doctors are concerned that marijuana may interact with anesthetics and weaken the effects of painkillers after surgery.
As a result, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) issued new guidelines urging anesthesiologists to ask patients about their cannabis use — and be prepared to delay surgery or change their treatment plan depending on the answer.
The recommendation suggests delaying surgery for at least two hours after the patient last smoked marijuana, because substance abuse patients are at greater risk of heart attacks when receiving anesthesia.
According to the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA), every patient in America must be screened for marijuana before undergoing surgery.
Marijuana increases heart rate and lowers blood pressure, a combination that can lead to starvation of the heart muscle.
Doctors will also have to cancel operations when cannabis users appear “high” because they cannot consent, according to the guidelines.
It comes amid a wave of legalization of cannabis in the US in recent years, with 38 states allowing the drug to be used for medicinal or recreational purposes. It is estimated that one in ten Americans is a regular cannabis user.
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The new surgery guidelines also call on medical professionals to educate patients about the risk of smoking cannabis after surgery and how it can reduce the effects of painkillers.
There is evidence that heavy marijuana use desensitizes pain receptors, meaning more opioids are needed, which have significant side effects.
This puts regular marijuana users at risk for opioid use disorders after surgery, the ASRA said.
According to the recommendations, anesthesiologists are asked to screen all patients for marijuana use, asking about product type, dose, frequency of use and whether the drug is smoked or eaten.
ASRA warns that patients are asked about illegal drug use even before surgery, but the drug is legal in most states and therefore does not fall into this category.
The group’s recommendations are published in the BMJ journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.
They are based on a meta-analysis of existing marijuana and surgery studies and the experiences of a 13-person study group that included anesthetists, chronic pain doctors and a patient advocate.
Dr. Samer Narouze, the president of the Medical Association and senior author of the guidelines, told UPI: “Every day you see a patient in the hospital [operating room] who smoked marijuana.
“It’s everyday food. It is now the norm when patients who use cannabis medicinally and recreationally present for surgery.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
