A U G U S T 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 5 5
A
nesthesia
providers
are trying
to keep
pace with
the shift of complex
orthopedic cases to out-
patient ORs by looking
for new ways to mitigate
complications, speed
recoveries and minimize
— or eliminate — the
need to manage post-op
pain with opioids. Those
efforts include more tar-
geted and effective
regional blocks, a spinal
anesthetic that wears off
in less than an hour and,
if you can believe it, sedation-free surgery performed on wide-awake
patients. Let's take a closer look at those developments and a few
other trends that can help your patients bounce back faster and move
around sooner after some of surgery's most painful procedures.
1. Improved pre-op preparation
Experts are beginning to realize that anesthesia, in the broader sense,
shouldn't start only after the patient is wheeled into the OR.
Jim Burger | Contributing Editor
Advances in Orthopedic Anesthesia
New ideas are emerging for managing post-op pain and enhancing recoveries.
• ON THE BLOCK Regional anesthesia continues to evolve as providers search to
balance pain relief with early ambulation.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
