Michael Day, MD, of Chambersburg, Pa.-based Summit Health, develops postoperative plans for patients to use to avoid taking opioids, according to Herald Mail Media.
Here are four things to know:
1. Dr. Day told Herald Mail Media that opioid-free procedures may not work for patients who experience chronic pain, but they are an option for individuals who undergo a minimally invasive, isolated surgical event.
2. Sara LaRoche, a patient of Dr. Day's who underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in summer of 2018, said she was able to manage postoperative pain with Tylenol, aspirin and a cold-therapy machine, according to the report.
3. Dr. Day also advises the use of anesthetic nerve blocks, cryotherapy and starting physical therapy as soon after surgery as possible.
4. After first providing the instructions to ACL surgery patients, Dr. Day now implements the no-opioids approach for rotator cuff, menisci, hip and joint replacement surgery patients.