Need an opinion

My boyfriend has been in recovery for heroin now for 4 months and is managing to stay clean by going to meetings and he also completed a 28 day in patient program.  By the grace of a higher power, he is doing great.  He's geting his life back on track.  

He needs a knee replacement for an injury he suffered and he feels he needs his knee fixed so that he can get gainful employment.  By trade, he is a building engineer.  I'm all for him getting his knee replaced, but I am concerned about pain medications as heroin was his DOC.  I mentioned to him that I feel he should tell the doctor he's a recovering addict, but he thinks that since pills weren't his DOC, that he won't have an issue with pain meds.  I disagree - STRONGLY disagree.  I could be wrong but I think that an addict has to always be mindful and careful of ANY drug that could become addictive.

He is going to see his doctor tomorrow about the surgery.  I'm not so sure my boyfriend will tell him he's a recovering addict and I feel I should give the doc a heads up and call the doc today on my own.  I don't want my boyfriend to find out that I called and gave the doc a heads up and I was wondering if the doctor has an obligation to tell him that I called.  I just don't want to jeopardize anything here.  Would I be out of line for calling?  He's been doing so great with his recovery, that I'm afraid he might be feeling too confident and that he can handle anything.

Right now, he's in a halfway house.  He goes to approximately two meetings a day and he has a sponsor.  If I had his sponsor's name and phone number, I'd call him and he could discreetly talk to him.  But I don't.

Please forum, give me some guidance.

Thank you to anyone who will post in response.  It is appreciated more than you realize.

THANK YOU!

[GA Guy]

He may be in recovery, but he's still not being honest.I recently had my wisdom teeth extracted. My doctor knew everything. I never had physical possession of my meds. My wife held the prescription and the pills. If I had needed one (which I didn't), she would have logged it on paper and given them to me. If you don't get him to change his mind and tell his doctor and do this correctly, then he has a 99 percent chance of relapsing. He needs to be the honest one. Telling on him defeats the purpose of him being honest. However, I'd do everything I could to help him stay clean. That includes walking out if he has surgery without having a plan and telling his doctor.

[atthebeach]

i understand your concern.i have this same issue with my husband former herion user then he used morphine,xanax,methadone just now in rehab after a relapse that lasted 14 years. i had been with him at a doctors appt years ago and i told the doctor not to prescribe cough medicene,narcotic pain meds, he wrote it on the chart. then my husband changes doctors. i found out the doctor was prescribing xanax. i called and they told them his drug history and they said to  me confidential doctor and patient i would have to come to the office with my husband  to provide info. of course my husband didnt tell me when he went. your boyfriend has to realize anything narcotic can cause relapse. my husband had surgery to repair a crushed heel, he got morphine drip for the first week. it is a lifelong battle. my husband was clean for 14 years before and beginning of our marriage. then used for 14 years. he went to detox 2/27 for 5 days and now is in a christian rehab for 3 weeks. i am very afraid when he comes home. we have 4 children and 20 years of marriage. if he wants to stay clean he needs to be honest with himself  and the doctor about his addiction, never goes away.. discuss it with him and ask him if you can go to the surgeon with him. i will pray he makes the right decision.
god bless you,
debbie