Caffeine and Neurologic Recovery Following Surgery and General Anesthesia

Opioid-related deaths have quadrupled in the last 20 years, and nearly half of these deaths currently involve prescription opioids. Surgical patients often experience moderate-to-severe pain is common after major surgery, and surgery is associated with a 14-fold increased risk of opioid dependency compared to non-surgical controls, even after minor surgery. Furthermore, mood disorders (e.g., depression) are independently associated with persistent opioid use postoperatively, and signs of postoperative depression are common after major surgery. Thus, given these risk factors, surgical patients are at particularly high risk for opioid dependency postoperatively. Interventions that (1) reduce opioid burden, and (2) improve mood and neuropsychological function may mitigate the risk of postoperative opioid dependency. Preliminary laboratory and clinical findings demonstrate that caffeine may reduce pain after surgery, which may translate to lower opioid requirements. The study tests the hypothesis that intraoperative caffeine administration will improve opioid consumption, pain, and neuropsychological recovery in patients undergoing surgery. Through validated assessment measures, the research team will study the effects of caffeine in relation to postoperative opioid requirements, pain, and neuropsychological (e.g., cognition, depression, anxiety) trajectory after surgery.