Thomas Hickey, MD, MS
Assistant ProfessorCards
About
Research
Publications
2025
Buccal Buprenorphine for Postoperative Analgesia After Major Orthopedic Surgery: Results of a Retrospective Cohort.
Hopkins R, Kudaravalli K, Pittman B, Pour A, Perrino A, Hickey T. Buccal Buprenorphine for Postoperative Analgesia After Major Orthopedic Surgery: Results of a Retrospective Cohort. Pain Medicine Case Reports 2025, 9: 235-241. PMID: 40900458.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBuccal buprenorphineAcute pain managementPain managementPain outcomesAgonist opioidsOrthopedic surgeryBuccal formulationsUS Food and Drug Administration approvalFood and Drug Administration approvalOpioid naive patientsOrthopedic surgery populationMultimodal analgesic regimenChronic pain managementRetrospective chart reviewCohort of patientsPostoperative pain managementFormulation of buprenorphineMajor orthopedic surgeryDrug Administration approvalSuperior safety profileHomogeneous patient populationUsual careOpioid use disorderAnalgesic regimenRetrospective reviewEstablishing Buprenorphine for Acute Postoperative Pain Management
Abelleira A, Hickey T. Establishing Buprenorphine for Acute Postoperative Pain Management. Journal Of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy 2025, ahead-of-print: 1-12. PMID: 40622433, DOI: 10.1080/15360288.2025.2524688.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchOpioid analgesicsPain managementAcute perioperative pain managementAcute postoperative pain managementEffective opioid analgesicPerioperative pain managementPostoperative pain managementFormulation of buprenorphineTreatment of painOpioid use disorderOpioid-related outcomesAgonist opioidsPostoperative painPerioperative administrationOpioid harmsPain outcomesOpioid buprenorphineSurgical populationBuccal formulationsOpioidPainBuprenorphineUse disorderBuccal filmsClinical pathwayPharmacological and behavioral pain treatment strategies for patients with opioid use disorder
Ameral V, Hickey T, Reilly E, Patterson J, Sofuoglu M. Pharmacological and behavioral pain treatment strategies for patients with opioid use disorder. Expert Opinion On Pharmacotherapy 2025, 26: 1041-1054. PMID: 40366730, PMCID: PMC12202159, DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2025.2506688.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid agonist treatmentOpioid use disorderChronic painUse disorderCochrane Central Register of Controlled TrialsCentral Register of Controlled TrialsEffective management of painPain treatment strategiesRegister of Controlled TrialsManagement of painCochrane Central RegisterAgonist treatmentPharmacological optionsTreatment strategiesPainOpioidEffective treatmentControlled TrialsBehavioral treatmentTreatmentPatientsDisordersMedical careEffective managementEffective medical careCurrent state of anesthesiology experience with buprenorphine for pain management: results of a nationwide survey
Hopkins R, MacLean R, Pittman B, Missair A, Gaiser R, Perrino A, Hickey T. Current state of anesthesiology experience with buprenorphine for pain management: results of a nationwide survey. Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2025, rapm-2025-106692. PMID: 40360200, DOI: 10.1136/rapm-2025-106692.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAcute Pain Management in People With Opioid Use Disorder : A Systematic Review.
Buonora M, Mackey K, Khalid L, Hickey T, Grimshaw A, Moss M, Starrels J, Alford D, Becker W, Weimer M. Acute Pain Management in People With Opioid Use Disorder : A Systematic Review. Annals Of Internal Medicine 2025, 178: 558-570. PMID: 40096692, DOI: 10.7326/annals-24-01917.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid use disorderOUD outcomesAcute pain interventionsAcute pain managementPain interventionsPain outcomesEmergency departmentPain managementObservational studyUse disorderImprove pain-related outcomesPerioperative settingEffectiveness of pain interventionsPain-related outcomesWell-conducted randomized controlled trialsImprove pain outcomesAcute painful episodesStrength of evidence assessmentIntravenous (IVControlled observational studiesNon-U.S. populationsEffectiveness of interventionsRandomized Controlled TrialsOral clonidineRisk of biasResponse to the letter to the editor
Hickey T, Avila-Quintero V, De Aquino J. Response to the letter to the editor. Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2025, rapm-2025-106481. PMID: 39929637, DOI: 10.1136/rapm-2025-106481.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBuprenorphine versus full agonist opioids for acute postoperative pain management: an infographic
Hickey T, Costa G, Avila-Quintero V, De Aquino J. Buprenorphine versus full agonist opioids for acute postoperative pain management: an infographic. Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2025, rapm-2024-106304. PMID: 39793993, DOI: 10.1136/rapm-2024-106304.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBuprenorphine versus full agonist opioids for acute postoperative pain management: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Hickey T, Costa G, Oliveira D, Podosek A, Abelleira A, Avila-Quintero V, De Aquino J. Buprenorphine versus full agonist opioids for acute postoperative pain management: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2025, rapm-2024-106014. PMID: 39753290, DOI: 10.1136/rapm-2024-106014.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAcute postoperative pain managementPostoperative pain managementAcute postoperative painDuration of analgesiaPain intensityPain managementRandomized Controlled TrialsRisk of biasAgonist opioidsPostoperative painControlled TrialsRescue analgesiaMeta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsMean duration of analgesiaRescue analgesia useLong duration of actionCochrane Central Register of Controlled TrialsSafety of buprenorphineCentral Register of Controlled TrialsMeta-analysisRegister of Controlled TrialsRandom-effects meta-analysisAdverse effectsDuration of actionCochrane Central RegisterFrom Chronic Opioids for Pain to Microgram Buprenorphine: Key Factors in an Increasingly Recommended Transition.
Hickey T, Hitt J. From Chronic Opioids for Pain to Microgram Buprenorphine: Key Factors in an Increasingly Recommended Transition. Pain Physician Journal 2025, 28: 59-67. PMID: 39903018.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOpioid therapyBuprenorphine exposureTotal dose of opioidsVeterans Health AdministrationChronic opioid therapyDoses of opioidsChronic pain managementOutpatient opioid prescriptionsReducing opioid useFull-agonist opioidsPrescription of buprenorphineTransition to buprenorphineAssociated with lower oddsVeterans Affairs Corporate Data WarehouseBaseline opioidChronic opioidsOpioid doseAgonist opioidsOpioid exposureHealth AdministrationOpioid prescriptionsOpioid useSurrogate markerLarge-scale observational studiesBuprenorphine initiation
2024
A Simple Screening Tool Reduces Unnecessary Preoperative Evaluation for Cataract Surgery
Hickey T, Kempton J, Federman D. A Simple Screening Tool Reduces Unnecessary Preoperative Evaluation for Cataract Surgery. Quality Management In Health Care 2024, 34: 138-140. PMID: 39680370, DOI: 10.1097/qmh.0000000000000491.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPrimary Care EvaluationScreening toolCare EvaluationCataract surgeryPrimary care provider referralPreoperative evaluationPreoperative testingImprove patient outcomesProvider referralProvider evaluationPatient outcomesPatient chartsLow riskSurgeryCataractScreeningIncreased costsPatientsReferralProcess improvementInterventionEvaluationOutcomesDecrease