As more Americans receive treatment for opioid-use disorder, that progress is increasingly showing up in the operating room, creating an urgent need to modernize how pain is managed during and after major surgery, according to a study in the February 2026 issue of Anesthesiology. The study documents a steady rise in surgical patients using medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), highlighting a gap between current surgical pain practices and the needs of today’s patients. Learn more about the study, led by ORI faculty affiliate Dr. Mark Bicket.