Is it time to eliminate the use of opioids in cardiac surgery?

Feature Editor Note—Since the early days of cardiac surgery, opiates have been a pillar of intraoperative and postoperative analgesia. The hemodynamic profile of opiates and the nature of cardiac surgery have made this class of analgesics indispensable. Nevertheless, cardiac anesthesia and perioperative cardiothoracic care has evolved dramatically in parallel to the surgical and procedural approaches to heart disease. Despite greater patient acuity and complexity, reducing mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit and hospital length of stay while ensuring patient satisfaction during the recovery process has become imperative.