Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/982001
Pain Management NE W YORKŽPRE SBY TERIA N QUEENS TA K E S a new approach to pain management during and after arthroplasty to better prepare patients for physical therapy and rehabilitation. "Almost all patients receive regional anesthesia — a spinal block or epidural along with a local block — which we can reapply if the patient experiences any pain after surgery," says Aditya M. Derasari, MD, orthopedic surgeon, Director of Total Joint Arthroplasty Service at NYP Queens and Assistant Professor of Clinical Orthopaedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine. "We can reapply these methods in the recovery room instead of limiting them to the operating room." Anti-inflammatories and other medicines that control nerve pain give physicians multiple options for addressing pain. By blocking pain through several different pathways, the orthopedic team at NYP Queens can keep patients comfortable while limiting the use of opioid-based painkillers. Though long-term data is still being collected rega rding p a t i e n t s ˆ w h o h a v e u n d e r g o n e r o b o t i c - a r m - a s s i s t e d a r t h ropla s t y, su rgeon s hope t h at t he i ncrea sed a ccu ra c y of i mpl a nt pl a c ement w i l l i ncr ea s e t he lon ge v it y of h ip a nd k nee repla cement s mov i n g for wa rd . "As orthopedic surgeons, we have shown that total hip replace- ments should have 40 degrees of inclination and 20 degrees of anteversion to achieve the appropriate stability," Dr. Li says. "That's the gold standard, and the robot allows us to achieve that target every single time we perform the procedure." To further ensure successful patient outcomes, NYP Queens has also revamped its rehabilitation and pain management pro- tocols (see "Rapid Rehabilitation" and "Pain Management") and utilizes TX A medication to lower the rate of blood transfusions. TRAINING PROGRAM NYP Queens has five orthopedic surgeons who are trained and certified to use the robotic arm for arthroplasty, with availability for other surgeons to learn how to use the machine if they are "We're able to get patients back into society and living their lives according to their normal routines quickly," Dr. Li says. 1 8❱❱❱❱❱ S P E C I A L F E A T U R E 1 8