5-Minute Consult: Dr. Anthony Bozaan Discusses the Decreasing Need for Opioid Medications for Patients Post-Surgery

Dr. Anthony Bozaan, MD, is a general surgeon with Trinity Health IHA Medical Group, General Surgery – Genoa. In this Q&A, Dr. Bozaan details the decreasing need for opioid medications for patients following surgery.

Article first published in The Livingston Post.

Dr. Bozaan: I often perform between 15-25 procedures per week, this includes hernia repairs, removal of gall bladders and appendixes, and much more.

Q: Can you go more in depth on some of those operations you perform?

Dr. Bozaan: Most hernias occur when the fascia separates and then organs protrude out into the abdominal wall. All hernia repairs I do are done robotically. We make three small incisions, go in with a camera, find the where the hole is, pull everything back in where it belongs and reconstruct and reinforce the abdominal wall. Patients usually go home about an hour after the procedure, and most patients only require Tylenol or Motrin for the discomfort.

Removing a gall bladder is done laparoscopically, meaning it is performed with a minimally invasive approach. I make four small incisions, go in with a camera, find it and remove it. This is done in an outpatient setting, and most patients go home the same day.

When it comes to appendicitis, this is a more urgent issue than the previous two. Patients usually come to the Emergency Department with pain in their lower stomach/abdominal cavity. We do examinations to determine if the appendix needs to be removed or not. Once we diagnose it as appendicitis, we take them to the operating room and remove it laparoscopically. Patients typically recover at home with Tylenol or Motrin.

Q: How exactly do the robotic operations work?

Dr. Bozaan: We have a device at Trinity Health Livingston called the Da Vinci Surgical System. It’s a robotic, minimally invasive approach to performing operations, so I perform the operation with the assistance of the computer. The computer viewing station magnifies the anatomy 10 times and allows me to see in greater detail than if I were standing bedside performing a traditional type of operation. Typically, these surgeries take about an hour and our patients are able to go home the same day.

Q: What are some of the other benefits of minimally invasive surgeries?

Dr. Bozaan: Thanks to the Da Vinci Surgical System, we are inching closer and closer to opiate-free surgeries. These minimally invasive surgeries really help us eliminate the need to prescribe patients with opiods because they are not experiencing as much pain post-surgery that they would otherwise. Now, patients generally take a Tylenol or Motrin once every six hours if they have any pain, and usually that only lasts a few days.

We are working to minimize opioid/narcotic use at the hospital, and thanks to this minimally invasive approach, we are doing a good job of that. Keeping these powerful, addictive medications out of the communities we serve will have a significant impact on reducing overuse and abuse.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share with the Livingston community?

Dr. Bozaan: One thing I’d really like to point out is that the residents of Livingston County have access to high-quality care right in their own backyard. At Trinity Health Livingston, we take pride in keeping health care local. It’s a huge benefit for our patients to have this medical technology and these services in their own community and not have to travel far distances to access them. It’s convenient for all parties involved, and I am thankful to be a part of providing this care to the residents of Livingston County.

For more information about hernias, or to request an appointment, please visit trinityhealthmi.org/hernia.