The notion that marijuana could help prepare individuals for a surgical procedure has been thwarted by new research. Smoking weed will not ease the pain but does the opposite, as it could make the pain worse during recovery.

Research presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists' annual meeting on Monday revealed that while there may be evidence that cannabis could prove beneficial for chronic and nerve pain, they have uncovered evidence that such is not the case for an acute kind of pain. An example of acute pain that researchers referred to is pain from a surgery of a broken bone.

Aside from increasing acute pain, those who used marijuana prior to surgery also showed that they required more anesthesia during the surgical procedure. It must be noted that there are instances when undergoing anesthesia becomes risky for a number of individuals like the elderly or those who are suffering from chronic illnesses like diabetes.

The researchers analysed the records of 118 patients who underwent surgery at the University of Colorado Hospital for the repair of a fractured tibia, or the shinbone, or calfbone. They found that 30 patients admitted to using cannabis before the surgery albeit there was no indication of the timing, the type of cannabis that was used, as well as the frequency.

The researchers then compared two groups, those who used cannabis prior to surgery and those who did not. They evaluated the amount of anesthesia given during surgery, the pain scores of the patients, and the amount of opioids that were used at the hospital after the procedure.

Patients who used cannabis required more anesthesia, experienced more pain during recovery, and also received more opioids daily while they were at the hospital. The researchers noted that an anesthesiologist would increase the levels of anesthesia upon seeing signs that the patient is in pain. These signs would include involuntary body movements, high blood pressure, increased heart rate, and rate of breathing.

Cannabis And Surgery Cannabis And Surgery
Cannabis use before surgery can increase pain. Photo: Pixabay

Dr Ian Holmen, an anesthesiologist at the University of Colorado Hospital, revealed that the study underscores the importance for patients to inform their anesthesiologists if they used marijuana or any cannabis product before surgery, including the use of non-opioid alternatives. This will ensure that they would receive the best anesthesia that will ideally control the pain. He also noted that more research is needed to better understand how cannabis would impact pain.