Jae Lim, MD, is a neurosurgeon at Reston (Va.) Hospital Center. In a state that has witnessed the opioid epidemic heavily, Dr. Lim is using different treatment plans to reduce patient's opioid exposure, according to LocalDVM.com.
In December, Dr. Lim treated a patient with a herniated disc. Dr. Lim performed a spinal endoscopy procedure. This allowed the patient to be opioid free in two weeks.
Dr. Lim expects spinal endoscopy procedures to be standard in the next 10 years. He also used a treatment approach designed to lower the risk of opioid addition. The Enhanced Recovery after Surgery is used to manage a patient's pain postoperatively without prescribing opioids.
Prior to using ERAS, Dr. Lim had to typically prescribe opioids.