Opioids have been prescribed with increasing frequency for non-acute, non-cancer pain in the last 15 years. Because of this, opioid tolerance in the general population has grown markedly, and opioid tolerant patients can be especially difficult to manage in the perioperative period. In general, they require much higher doses of opioids to obtain similar levels of pain-control compared to opioid-naïve patients and are susceptible to respiratory depression and other adverse events. This study seeks to determine whether a new sustained-release local anesthetic solution (Exparel - Liposomal Bupivacaine) injected into the soft tissues around the joint after surgery will decrease opioid consumption and adverse events in opioid-tolerant patients presenting for total knee arthroplasty.
