The opioid crisis our nation is facing calls on all health care providers to reevaluate alternative ways that pain can be managed. We take this very seriously at Unasource Surgery Center.
Our anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists practice opioid-free anesthesia on a regular basis. However, that does not mean our patients are left in pain. We use a combination of peripheral nerve block and non-opioid pain medications to provide pain relief that is superior to the use of opioids for pain relief.
Facts about Peripheral Nerve Blocks
Peripheral nerve blocks are a type of regional anesthesia in which an ultrasound machine is used to guide injections of a numbing medication (local anesthetic) to specific nerves in order to provide pain relief for patients during and after surgery.
For surgeries where a longer duration of pain relief is needed, a peripheral nerve catheter is placed at the time of the nerve block. This catheter allows a local anesthetic to be infused for days after surgery.
In order to use this catheter at home, patients are provided with a pump, such as an ambIT pump, to manage the home use. These lightweight pumps are easy to use and reduce the amount of opioid pain medications needed in the immediate post-surgery days at home.
Contact Us for Answers
The use of peripheral nerve blocks is just one of the many ways UnaSource is helping to combat reliance on opioids. Contact us to learn more about how peripheral nerve blocks work or to discuss other options opioid-free pain relief options that are available for our patients.
— By Joe Donofrio, CRNA
UnaSource Surgery Center