Non-Opioid Protocol = less recovery time

By: Dr. Lawrence Iteld

10/28/2022

A friend recently had joint replacement surgery. His orthopedic surgeon had him start taking oxycodone several hours after surgery and he could continue every 4 – 6 hours as needed. This narcotic (opioid) is a powerful pain medication. He told me the drug marginally controlled his pain, but he was struggling with the side effects. I can’t speak to orthopedic procedures — that’s not my wheelhouse — but I can tell you how well my patients do with my non-opioid recovery protocol for the plastic surgery procedures I perform. They have mostly no pain and recover quickly, getting back to their normal lives that much faster

No pain, lots of gain

I truly believe you don’t have to worry about pain that doesn’t exist. That’s why my non-opioid protocol involves pre-, during, and post-surgery. Before your procedure, you’ll take some medications to reduce the chance of nausea and nerve sensitivity. During your procedure, you’ll have a long-acting local nerve block injected directly into your surgical site. Depending on the procedure and your specific needs, I may couple this with anti-inflammatories and/or muscle relaxants. All these are time-released over the next 2 – 3 days, giving you the time you need to recover pain-free.

We are preventing pain before it ever even happens. So, you won’t need pain medicine if you don’t have pain!

Recover faster

The one question patients ask most often is how long will it take to get back to their normal lives. And that’s the good news! You’ll want to rest a bit, yet even in the first few days following surgery you’ll be able to resume some normal activities, such as taking an easy walk. You’ll be able to do more as your body heals and get back to being your usual self…only with a better-looking body.

Available non-opioid procedures

This protocol works for nearly all the plastic surgical procedure I do whenever I make an incision, including:

  • breast surgeries — augmentation, reduction, lift, reconstruction, male breast reduction, transgender/top surgery
  • body contouring — tummy tuck, liposuction, BBLs, arms, thighs, lifts
  • multi-procedures — mommy makeover, daddy do-over

Patients get what they want

It’s true. My patients have the procedures they want with reduced need for pain medication and faster recovery times. Isn’t that what you want?! Please contact my patient coordinators and schedule your confidential confidential consultation. Click here or send us an email at [email protected]. Dr. Iteld is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and the Illinois Society of Plastic Surgery. A highly regarded Chicago based plastic surgeon, Dr. Iteld has received awards from Chicago Magazine’s Top Docs, and Castle Connolly Top Doctors®.

* All information subject to change. Images may contain models. Individual results are not guaranteed and may vary.