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Davenport Surgical Group and the Opioid Crisis

By Joseph L. Lohmuller, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Davenport Surgical Group

Opioids are the go-to choice for treating surgical patients’ pain, but with the recent uptick of addiction, it’s becoming more important than ever that medical professionals improve the knowledge and management of pain in surgical patients with a focus on opioid risk and non-opioid alternatives.

We sat down with Joseph L. Lohmuller, MD, FACS, of Davenport Surgical Group to hear his thoughts on the opioid crisis and how his team works to prescribe responsibly, while also making sure patients don’t suffer.

“At Davenport Surgical Group, we are very tuned in to the balance of prescribing as responsibly as possibly. We always look at the safety of the medication to make sure the patient doesn’t suffer and has relief of the pain both short and long term,” says Joseph L. Lohmuller, MD, FACS. “Resources like the Iowa Prescription Monitoring Program allow us to have a strong working knowledge of the other medications our patients are receiving so we can take the appropriate steps to make sure our patients are as safe as possible. Additionally, we have extremely tight controls of opioids at our surgery center. Not only are they only prescribed during daylight hours, but by the primary surgeon who has the highest level of knowledge of the patient’s care.”

Changing protocols and practices, which have been widely accepted for decades, is not an easy task, but one the Davenport Surgical Group Board Certified General Surgeons have taken to heart.

“This has absolutely changed prescribing patterns. As members of the American College of Surgeons, our team of Board Certified General Surgeons has been able to look at prescribing patterns across the board, giving us a standard level of prescription drugs,” says Joseph L. Lohmuller, MD, FACS. “If we have a patient who is already chronically on opioids and they have a condition we need to operate on, we take time to explain and make them aware that pain management may be difficult. It’s all about educating our patients and truly being their advocate”

To learn more about the Board Certified General Surgeons at Davenport Surgical Group click here, or contact us here to learn how we combine skill and experience to provide compassionate treatment for all patients.