Guidelines for Postsurgical Pain Management

Erol Onel
Erol Onel
Aug 25, 2017 · 2 min read

Dr. Erol Onel serves as vice president of Heron Therapeutics, where he provides scientific direction to the company’s pain franchise. Dr. Erol Onel comes to this role from Pacira Pharmaceuticals, through which he provided medical direction in the development of postoperative pain management drugs.

In 2016, the American Pain Society released new guidelines for best practices in the management of postsurgical pain. The guidelines identified a pervasive lack of adequate pain relief for patients who had undergone surgery. Noting that this insufficient care put patients at risk of mood disorders and sustained impairment as well as extended periods of discomfort, the society urged the adoption of multimodal pain management plans that target the central as well as the peripheral nervous system.

Details of the recommendation included the use of varied medications, including both opioid and non-opioid drugs, in addition to non-pharmaceutical interventions. Representatives of the society noted that such strategies were likely to improve the effectiveness of pain relief while simultaneously reducing overall dependence on opioids. Similarly, by targeting pain via a number of different pathways, the strategy aims to reduce side effects caused by intense use of a particular drug.

The society also urges physicians to individualize therapy to suit a particular patient. One representative cited the example of a hypothetical patient on long-term opioid treatment, as such a patient would not respond to postoperative opioid therapy in the same way as one whose body had not yet developed a familiarity with such drugs. More specific recommendations, available for particular populations, require the interpretation of diagnostic and case information.

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Erol Onel

Erol Onel

A physician in La Jolla, CA focused on pharmaceutical development, Erol Onel, MD, most recently served Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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