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An article published in the journal Spine analyzed cannabis (the most popular illicit drug in the United States), cannabis use disorder, and effects on patients after spine surgery. Researcher and author Ankit Indravadan Mehta, MD, FAANS, at the University of Illinois at Chicago, stated, "Chronic...
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The silver lining of the quarantine cloud may be the increase in telemedicine follow-up postsurgery. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery reports that patients were just as satisfied with a telemedicine follow-up as they were with an office visit. This particular group of 122 patients had...
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In those over 65, spinal cord dysfunction is common, and over 100,000 corrective surgeries are performed yearly. The leading cause of this dysfunction is cervical spondylotic myelopathy: neck vertebrae compress, causing pain, numbness/tingling, bladder issues, and a loss of balance/coordination...
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An article in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons validated guidelines for patient-centered prescriptions to increase disposal of leftover opioids, per FDA-compliance, which are currently 20% to 30%. Patients were given prescriptions for pain killers based on what they were taking before...
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At the American Society of Anesthesiologists pain summit, over a dozen societies discussed principles for acute pain resources for surgeries. ASA President Beverly K. Philip, MD, FACA, FASA, commented, “we learned from each other what progress has been made toward each principle, what challenges or...
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Radiation therapy vs an injection. A patient with bone cancer may need about 10 sessions of radiation therapy, but a new radioactive bone cement is proving to be easier on the patient, and safer. Brachytherapy is a local treatment during which a radiation source is placed in or near the tumor. With...
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It's a new age of knee replacement! Using 3D modeling and robotics, knee replacements are more personalized, exact, and lead to improved quality of life. How? A presurgery CT scan of the patient’s knee is uploaded to software and the joint is replicated in a 3D model, which the surgeon uses to plan...
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A research letter published in JAMA Surgery compares postsurgery pain relief and patient satisfaction via patient-reported outcomes after common operations. What’s the right balance between excessive prescribing of opioids and inferior pain control? Over 600 patients were surveyed 1 to 3 months...
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In a Pain Management short communication, researchers discussed a study of intravenous meloxicam's efficacy and safety for postsurgery pain, as part of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol. Over 50 adults who had undergone open or laparoscopic colorectal surgery with bowel resection...
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In an online edition of the British Journal of Anaesthesia, the Perioperative Pain and Addiction Interdisciplinary Network—or PAIN—outlined recommendations for patients who use cannabis. The regulation and use of marijuana products is constantly evolving. Cannabis use can alter perioperative...