Opium is a derivative of opium poppy; the species of plant which its extract is used for preparing opium. Opium abuse is considered under drug dependency classification of psychiatric diseases and opium abusers have a number of major challenges before, during and after anesthesia for surgical operations (i.e. the perioperative period). This article reviews these clinical challenges during the perioperative period to discuss the new clinical findings for these patients and to demonstrate some of the main problems that physicians are encountered with.

Keywords: opium, abuse, anesthesia