have head-to-head data. I hope that Exparel will find its niche for
extended duration peripheral nerve blocks, but we're still in a wait-
and-see phase.
Dr. Wagner We're working with other medications, such as clonidine
or dexamethasone, to extend the duration of local anesthetics.
Interestingly, patients who receive a block that lasts 2 or 3 days often
express dissatisfaction with having their joints numbed. After about
24 hours, some patients say they'd rather experience the pain than
deal with the numbness.
Simply reducing the use of opioids is an attainable and valuable goal. Is
there too much stock put in opioid-free analgesia? Do caregivers lose focus
on the benefits of at least reducing narcotic use?
Dr. Snyder Most physicians still believe that narcotics are the go-to
drugs for pain. They're also the first to admit that there are major
problems with using opioids. Patients can have serious side effects
4 3
February 2015 | O U T PAT I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T
z OPEN DIALOGUE Discuss pain control options with patients
so they're aware of the reasons behind your methods.
Hospital
for
Special
Surgery
