The Opioid Epidemic: America's Epidemic.

The opioid epidemic in the United States has changed how medicine is practiced. There are tools and resources available to help the surgeon understand pain and provide appropriate pain management. Understanding pain, setting expectations, and diagnosing underlying medical dispositions that can lead to opioid addiction should become standard practice. Understanding available tools for communication, setting appropriate expectations, and preoperative planning for postoperative pain will provide better pain control. Through physical, mental, and medicinal modalities that include both opioids and nonopioid options, a more comprehensive treatment plan can provide better pain control while minimizing opioid side effects.