Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Florida (October 24, 2019) – Advanced Surgical Specialists of Florida announces that Dilendra Weerasinghe, MD, board certified general and bariatric surgeon, now performs surgery with Opioid Free Anesthesia.
Opioid Free Anesthesia is the use of non-opioid medications to target pain centers during a patient’s surgical procedure. The anesthesiologist uses medications which target the pain center versus pain perception. The benefits to the patient may include:
- Quicker recovery
- Reduced nausea/constipation associated with opioids
- Early ambulation
- Shorter pain recovery time
- Resuming eating, fluids, etc., faster
- Reduction of length of stay in the hospital
- Return to normal activities quickly
Every patient is different, and the needs of each patient are complex. Everyone senses and experiences pain differently. The anesthesiologist, surgeon, and surgical services team work very collaboratively to ensure the needs of the patient are met during their procedure.
Dr. Weerasinghe opts for Opioid Free Anesthesia wherever possible. “I choose Opioid Free Anesthesia for my patients undergoing surgery with me to provide superior post-operative pain control and lessen the side effects related to opioid pain medication and thereby makes surgery more pleasant,” said Dr. Weerasinghe. “I believe it increases safety and enhances recovery all the while offering superior pain control.”
Dr. Weerasinghe says that after surgery the biggest complaint patients encounter are nausea and pain. The traditional way to address pain arising from surgery is by giving opioid pain medication. “This is cheap and effective,” he says, “but this comes with a whole host of complications to the patient. For example, there is an increase in the levels of nausea and vomiting which in most cases is much worse than the pain itself.”
Dr. Weerasinghe says that after surgery changes in the body’s nervous system sensitize and magnify the pain the patient feels. “We call this hyperalgesia. This happens mainly with opioid pain medication. The best way to treat these problems are to limit or altogether avoid the use of opioids during and after surgery by combining other pain medication to limit and block the pain from occurring,” say Dr. Weerasinghe.
Dr. Weerasinghe added that the concept is that pain is best treated before it even occurs. It doesn’t mean that the patient is left in pain, but rather by using pain medications and blocking multiple pathways of pain transmission there is a better pain control with less side effects of the medication. “We call this a multimodal analgesia. By using several pain medications, we eliminate the side effects of each medication and offer greater pain control. It also makes surgery safer and the recovery a lot quicker,” he added.
About Advanced Surgical Specialists of Florida
Advanced Surgical Specialists of West Florida provides exceptional general and weight loss surgical care with compassionate, comprehensive treatments for the Trinity, Pasco, Hernando, Hillsborough, and surrounding areas.
Dilendra Weerasinghe, MD, is a board certified general and bariatric surgeon caring for patients in Trinity, Florida.
He is leading the surgical weight loss program at Medical Center of Trinity in Trinity, Florida. Dr. Weerasinghe is always available to discuss why he became a general surgeon and his desire to help patients and his overall experience.
For more information go to ADVSurgicalSpecialists.com.
Advanced Surgical Specialists of Florida is located at 9332 State Road 54, Suite 400, Trinity, Florida 34655. Call 727-375-8313 to schedule an appointment.
About Medical Center of Trinity
Medical Center of Trinity is a 340 bed, state-of-the-art, all-private room hospital (Main Campus) strategically located in the tri-county area of Pasco, Pinellas, and Hillsborough Counties. The facility is located at 9330 State Road 54, Trinity, FL 34655, near the intersection of State Road (SR) 54 and Little Road. Medical Center of Trinity clinical and acute-care programs include:
| Behavioral Health including Senior Behavioral HealthCancer Care Clinical Cardiac ElectrophysiologyDiagnostic ImagingEmergency Care – Adult and PediatricMedical Center of TrinityCitrus Park ERER 24/7 ℠ in Palm HarborER 24/7 ℠ in LutzHeart & Vascular Men’s HealthMinimally Invasive Surgical SpecialtiesNeurosurgery | Obstetrics including NICU and Maternal Fetal MedicineOpen Heart SurgeryRehabilitation ServicesRobotic Assisted Surgery Sleep Center Spine & OrthopedicsThoracic SurgeryWeight Loss Surgery Women’s Health Women’s Imaging Center with Comprehensive Breast CareWound Care & Hyperbaric Medicine |
Medical Center of Trinity has been designated as an Advanced Certified Primary Stroke Center and earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Total Hips and Total Knees Certification.
Medical Center of Trinity is recognized among the nation’s Top Performers on five key quality measures – heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care and stroke by The Joint Commission— the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America. The Cancer Care program is an Accredited Community Cancer Program by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons.