Orthopedic spine surgeons Kern Singh, MD, and Frank M. Phillips, MD, designed the Vital 5 ReLeaf Catheter. Vital 5 is a catheter company for post-surgical pain relief.
Here are six insights:
1. FDA cleared Vital 5 ReLeaf Catheter, which offers a controlled amount of local anesthetic to the surgical site through the "leaf catheter" design.
2. The catheter provides directional dispersion of local anesthesia and directional wound drainage from the surgical site.
3. The Vital 5 ReLeaf Catheter is especially appropriate for spinal surgery, due to its regulated flow of local anesthetic to a patient's surgical site in close proximity to neural elements for postoperative pain treatment.
4. Since October 2014, surgeons have used the catheter in more than 25 total knee arthroplasty procedures.
5. There are cost-savings post-orthopedic and spine procedures associated with the catheter. The local anesthetic delivery decreases post-operative narcotic consumption and allows quicker discharge from the hospital.
6. The catheter may help with the transition to outpatient orthopedic and spinal procedures. "With the ability to effectively manage post-operative pain, I see ReLeaf allowing more surgeries to be accomplished in outpatient settings," said Dr. Phillips.
More articles on spine:
South Bay Pain & Wellness offers patients new, spinal decompression table — 3 takeaways
Intradiscal biacuplasty nerve block may ease chronic back pain — 5 observations
Are antibiotics an effective treatment for lower back pain? 4 things to know