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P A I N
M A N A G E M E N T
every case with analgesia in mind, and with getting our patients discharged home, quickly, safely and comfortably," says Gregory
Hickman, MD, the center's director of anesthesia and medical director. "Our goal is a multimodal approach that uses regional anesthesia
as the foundation. So every patient that we can do a regional anesthetic on, whether it's an orthopedic case, a general surgery case, or any
other kind of case, we do so preemptively in the pre-op holding area.
"Usually our blocks are all we need, along with a little multimodal supplementation in the OR, potentially with some ketorolac or ketamine. On
some cases, if we're not blocking, we'll use some Lyrica and Ofirmev."
Adding Ofirmev to its regimen, which the center did in 2011, helped
get the number down to its current level, says Dr. Hickman. "That's
pretty much our entire protocol, along with choosing the right place,
the right times and
the right dosage," he
says.
Naturally, the commitment to regional
anesthesia also means
a commitment to
mastering what can
be a challenging skill,
which Dr. Hickman
acknowledges is
bound to be an
impediment for some.
"Ultrasound is the
key and a lot of people
don't want to make
that change," he says.
N O V E M B E R 2013 | O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
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