Opioid Free—A Better Way to Recover

You’ve heard me say that I am an advocate for opioid-free surgery and recovery. Maybe you believe what I say, or maybe you’re still skeptical. Nothing is better proof that this works than hearing about a patient’s experience with non-opioid recovery. Check out the video…in her own words!

History of Opioids

The first mention of opioids goes all the way back to 3400 BC. Hippocrates recognized the benefits of oral opium. Fast forward to 1808 when morphine was isolated and named for Morpheus, the god of dreams. By 1898, with the synthesizing of heroin, the medical world viewed it as a “less addictive” alternative to morphine.

As we know, these drugs are highly addictive and, starting in 1909, came under federal regulation. But in 1950, enter the approval of Oxycodone, and in the 2000s, Purdue Pharmaceuticals launched OxyContin as a controlled release form, which it heavily marketed as a “less addictive” option of oxycodone. Nothing could be more wrong.

By 2017, almost 200 million opioid prescriptions were written for 10.5 billion pills! Many of these wound up in the hands of people other than those for whom they were prescribed. Crazy, right? What is truly worrisome is that the CDC reported more than 130 deaths daily from opioid overdoses.

Enough! It’s time to work towards reversing the trend!

My Philosophy of Opioid-Free Recovery

I believe that my patients can and do even better without opioids or pain. My goals are three-fold:

  • Decrease reliance on addictive medications
  • Promote patient rapid return to normal function
  • Improve patient experience

Patient Expectations

Some discomfort is normal, but should not limit the patient’s ability to do light activity. And both can be managed with non-opioid medications.

There are still times when opioids are important, i.e., end of life/hospice care, cancer pain, and severe acute pain situations. But, for the most part, the surgical procedures I perform most of the time do not require any opioids for patients to have pain-free experiences.

A Better Approach

If you are considering any plastic surgery and want a better approach to pain management, please contact my patient coordinators at info@driteld.com to schedule a confidential consultation or call 312.757.4505.

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Located in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, our offices are a warm, friendly and comfortable place to share your wants, needs and concerns.