by Rachael Alaimo-Monson
Daily Lobo
Patients who undergo major surgical orthopedic procedures can now recover at home instead of at the hospital.
Thanks to the UNM Outpatient Surgery and Imagining Service, also called OSIS, patients now have the option of choosing regional anesthesia over other methods. OSIS performs major reconstructive procedures including anterior cruciate ligament repairs, among others.
Regional anesthesia uses nerve blocks to block out pain in the desired region of the body. Upper extremity nerve blocks are used for shoulder, elbow and hand procedures. For knee, foot and ankle procedures, lower extremity nerve blocks are applied.
In most cases, the patients are sedated or given a light general anesthetic as well said Randy Rosett, medical director of Outpatient Surgery at the OSIS.
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"The combination of the nerve block and sedation or light anesthetic lowers the incidence of side effects, reduces the need for narcotics in the recovery process and lessens the likelihood of nausea," Rosett said. "It makes post-op a lot more comfortable for the patient."
Prior to the availability of regional anesthesia, post-op was usually an uncomfortable process.
"Spinal anesthesia paralyzes the patient from the waist down so that the patient has to wait until it wears off before they can go home," Rosett said. "The nerve block technique may last for up to 24 hours so that the patient has time to go home and get comfortable before they have any sign of pain."
Frioz Vagh, an assistant professor of anesthesiology at UNM, played a major role in developing these techniques at the OSIS. Since the center opened on Aug. 20, about 60-70 percent of surgeries have been performed with a block, Vagh said.
Less pain isn't the only advantage for having outpatient surgery, it is also much cheaper.
"Local anesthesia doesn't cost very much compared to general anesthesia and narcotics. So this procedure is a lot cheaper for the patient," Vagh said.
Depending on the type of surgery, which is rarely more than an hour and a half, recovery time at the center can be as short as 45 minutes, Vagh said. After that time, the patient can recover in the comfort of their own home.
The OSIS facility, which is part of the UNM Health Sciences Center, is located at 1213 University Ave. Since opening on May 12, 2003, the center has treated about 2,800 patients, Vagh said.
Bob Schenck, head team physician for Lobo athletics, has been an orthopedic surgeon for 15 years and said he is very happy with the changes outpatient surgery brings to the patient's overall experience.
"Patients don't want to spend the night in the hospital and here, they can't," Schenck said. "Recovering at home gives patients a great feeling of comfort and satisfaction."
