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Recent trends in teen substance use: Screening tools, treatment resources and more
For pediatricians, staying informed about current trends in adolescent substance use is necessary to provide comprehensive care and effective guidance to young patients and their families. According to a presentation by Brittany K. Badal, M.D., [...]
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Chronic pelvic pain’s persistence poses challenges for patients and health care providers
Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a complex and often debilitating condition that affects a significant portion of the female population. It is commonly defined as pain perceived to originate from the pelvic region that has […]
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Reducing risk of robot-assisted sacroiliac joint fusion complications
Robot-assisted sacroiliac joint (SIJ) fusion surgery can, in about 1% of cases, injure the superior gluteal artery (SGA), but preoperative imaging, precise robot-assisted screw insertion and soft tissue protection can mitigate risks, according to a […]
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Ways to make prescribing controlled substances safer
Safer controlled substance prescribing begins with a thorough patient workup, an appropriate diagnosis and a comprehensive treatment plan, according to Kelly C. Cooper, M.D., an addiction medicine specialist with Norton Behavioral Medicine. “We just tend [...]
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Complying with MATE Act requirements
Legislation signed in December 2022 affects Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-registered practitioners and requires a one-time, eight-hour training on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders. MATE Act compliance training [...]
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Erector spinae plane block and pediatric heart surgery
Using an anesthesia block such as erector spinae plane block in some pediatric cardiac surgeries has allowed us to quicken patient recovery, shorten stays in the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) and extubate sooner. By […]
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Considering the whole patient before spinal surgery
Even though I’m a neurosurgeon specializing in spine, I spend a lot of time talking to my patients about issues other than their backs. Rarely do I see back pain in isolation. Before they undergo […]
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Surgeon with Kentucky roots and public health background joins Norton Surgical Specialists
When he spent time shadowing physicians in Eastern Kentucky, where he grew up, Jeffrey D. Howard, M.D., MBA, MPH, was struck by a rural doctor’s ability to take care of any case that came through […]
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Multidisciplinary care for the pregnant sickle cell disease patient
Sickle cell disease (SCD) in pregnancy raises the risk to mother and baby as well as complications of SCD, but working closely with the patient’s hematologist and a maternal-fetal medicine specialist improves the chances of […]
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New guidelines for bone health assessment before elective spinal reconstruction
The Congress of Neurological Surgeons Systematic Review and Evidence-Based Guidelines for Perioperative Spine: Preoperative Osteoporosis Assessment recently was published in Neurosurgery. To develop these recommendations, the authors performed systematic review of the literature using national [...]
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New evidence-based guidelines published for perioperative spine surgery assessments
New evidence-based guidelines covering five key perioperative spine assessments were issued recently by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The guidelines, published in the medical journal Neurosurgery, provide insight on the following: Preoperative osteoporosis assessment Preoperative […]
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Study finds Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols help recovery after lumbar fusion
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols have the potential to hasten recovery from lumbar fusion surgery for degenerative spine conditions, with reduced in-hospital opioid consumption and improved postoperative pain scores, according to a study published […]
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