A kid-friendly (and opioid-sparing) scoliosis surgery

Opioids are a necessary part of surgery, but they come with many downsides — addiction risk being the most worrisome. So, when Vishal Sarwahi, MD met a young patient with a history of opioid misuse who needed scoliosis surgery, he knew he had to find another way. On this 20-Minute Health Talk, he shares his pioneering efforts to reduce reliance on opioids in pediatric scoliosis surgery, as well as the technical advances he has brought to the operating room that are making it possible — something he calls the Rapid Recovery Protocol.   Dr. Sarwahi is director of Northwell Health's Center for Minimally Invasive Scoliosis Surgery and the Center for Advanced Pediatric Orthopedics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. More from the expert Podcast transcript Less Is more in providing pain relief to teens After complex spine surgery, karate kid meets hero, Ralph Macchio Get more expert insights from leading experts in the field — Northwell Newsroom.  Watch episodes of 20-Minute Health Talk on YouTube.  For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn. Interested in a career at Northwell Health? Visit http://bit.ly/2Z7iHFL and explore our many opportunities.   Facebook –   / northwellhealth   Instagram -   / northwellhealth   X - https://www.x.com/northwellhealth LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin/northwellhealth