ties. Interscalene blocks are being used to increase patient comfort
after notoriously painfully shoulder surgeries.
The erector spinae plane block, a type of interfascial plane block, is
an exciting development in regional anesthesia that could replace
transverse abdominis plane (TAP) blocks and quadratus lumborum
(QL) blocks for outpatient procedures performed at the thorax and
abdomen, including breast surgeries and hysterectomies.
Pushing forward
Anesthesiologists continue to revolutionize outpatient care by leading
efforts to accelerate recoveries and enhance outcomes. Even patients
who undergo procedures that have become standard in the ambulatory
setting are being discharged sooner, healthier and in less pain. Every
member of the patient care team contributes to optimal outcomes, to
be sure, but look no further than the head of the surgical table for the
providers who are leading efforts to bring more advanced cases to your
facility's ORs.
OSM
Dr. Joshi (girish.joshi@utsouthwestern.edu) is a professor of anesthesiolo-
gy and pain management at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical
Center in Dallas and past president of the Society for Ambulatory Anesthesia
(SAMBA).
8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U L Y 2 0 1 9
On Point
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