German hospitals strive for pain free bunion surgery. Is it available in Toronto?
posted: Jan. 22, 2014.
According to an article in the Wall Street Journal online website on December 30, 2013, many German hospitals are setting a goal of patients to be "pain-free" after surgery.
Approximately 120 German hospitals are certified to be "pain-free" which means they have pledged to keep patients' pain at tolerable levels.
The article mentions a 60-year-old woman who had bunion surgery at one of the "pain-free" hospitals. She said her pain was controlled with ibuprofen as opposed to strong narcotics.
It is good to hear that hospitals around the world are paying closer attention to patients' pain postoperatively and are adopting techniques to control it. In many cases, they are doing this by combining oral and injectable medications.
In my opinion, a better way to reduce pain is to use minimally invasive surgical techniques, instead of better combinations of pain medications.
Minimally invasive surgery involves using specialized instrumentation and visualization methods to work through smaller openings than conventional surgery. This results in less trauma which usually means less postoperative pain.
Minimally invasive surgical techniques are currently being used in hernia surgery, knee surgery, back surgery and foot surgery. As more hospitals encourage the use of these techniques, they will come closer to giving patients the "pain-free" experience.
The good news is that, if you suffer from Bunions, Hammertoes Corns and Bone Spurs, dropped metatarsals, or require Surgery for Ingrown Toenails, you do not have to travel to a hospital in Germany if you want reduced pain following foot surgery. It is available in my Toronto podiatry office where I have been practicing Minimally Invasive Surgery for more than 30 years. The procedures are performed with local anesthetic and you can walk out of my office.
For more information, please call my Toronto foot clinic at 416-486-9917.
Photo: St. Joseph's hospital in Berlin
Source: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304244904579278380189904254