Publications by authors named "Christopher A Godlewski"

The purpose of this study was to determine if implementation of an enhanced recovery pathway (ERP) for elective spine surgery reduced opioid use and pain scores in elective spine surgery. A historical cohort study of 171 patients undergoing elective spine procedures between 2017 and 2021 was performed. The primary outcomes were opioid use and average daily pain scores.

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Introduction Erector spinae plane (ESP) block was first introduced for the management of thoracic pain but has become increasingly popular for the treatment of abdominal surgical pain. Previous studies have shown the ESP block can be easily adapted to abdominal procedures at the corresponding dermatome level and provide postoperative analgesia. Though the versatility, simplicity, and safety of the ESP block have been demonstrated, there is a gap in the literature regarding its comparison between thoracic and abdominal surgeries.

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Article Synopsis
  • Postoperative nerve injuries can be tough to diagnose and manage, often leading to ongoing issues for patients due to unclear causes like positioning or nerve blocks.
  • In some cases, conditions like postoperative inflammatory neuropathy can mimic peripheral nerve injuries and require thorough investigation of underlying health factors.
  • A specific case of a patient with rheumatoid arthritis highlights the need for vigilance in diagnosis, as timely identification of the true cause could have allowed for corticosteroid treatment to potentially reverse nerve damage.
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Abdominal organ transplantation - and more specifically small bowel transplant - can be quite painful, generally requiring significant opioid administration with the attendant negative ramifications. We present contrasting experiences with a gentleman who underwent transplantation for Crohn's disease and his retransplantation with the addition of post-operative anterior Quadratus Lumborum (QL) block. After the index procedure, he had significant pain and discomfort.

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