Exparel

You may be aware of the rising national opioid drug crisis affecting many people beginning at a young age. We are advocating change by helping spread awareness in order to tremendously decrease the amount of narcotics given after surgery. It has been found that narcotic drugs prescribed postoperatively have led to other opioid-related drug addictions in teenagers and young adults. Exparel is a single-dose, long-acting, and non-narcotic alternative given at the end of a procedure. It is used to minimize the feeling of pain around the surgical site for up to 72 hours. After this time, narcotic pain management medications are typically not needed and patients can take Ibuprofen for the remaining few days of their recovery period. Our goal is to keep you comfortable while decreasing the need for potentially addictive narcotic pain medication.

If you have concerns about using narcotics to manage your pain postoperatively, Exparel has been shown to be just as effective as narcotic options. It provides pain control for the first few days after a procedure, which is when you need it most. While no medication has zero side-effects, Exparel may cause nausea, vomiting and/or constipation (but narcotic pain medications more commonly

cause these side-effects as well). We routinely give anti-nausea medications during your procedure to help prevent these side-effects. Exparel can help dramatically minimize the risk of narcotic-related side effects and let you get back to your normal activities without opening the door to potential drug addiction.

Exparel is not currently covered by insurance plans. Your additional total is $180 to have the doctor administer this medication during your procedure.