Newswise – Doctors at Hackensack University Medical Center are now offering ioverao, a wearable device applied in the doctor’s office before knee replacement surgery to relieve postoperative knee pain and to reduce the chronic pain of osteoarthritis of the knee. This cryotherapy treatment has been shown to reduce patients’ opioid use and restore mobility by reducing stiffness and discomfort.
Knee pain due to osteoarthritis is a common complaint among adults in the United States. It is a leading cause of disability that impairs quality of life and impedes mobility. Osteoarthritis of the knee is also the main reason for total knee replacement. “We are constantly looking for effective non-surgical alternatives to opioids to reduce pain in people with chronic knee arthritis and to relieve postoperative pain in those who have had total knee replacement surgery,” explains Gary Panagiotakis, DO, who specializes in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, from. Pain Medicine at Hackensack University Medical Center.
The ioverao system is an innovative “cryoneurolysis” approach to block pain that relies on the body’s natural response to cold. This is how it works:
- The doctor assesses a patient’s pain before the procedure and uses a physical exam and ultrasound to identify the nerves responsible for the patient’s knee pain.
- The nerves are marked and the doctor injects a local anesthetic into the areas to be treated.
- The ioverao system is a portable handheld device that delivers precise, controlled doses of very low temperatures to the target nerves through a small probe with three small needles at the tip. The doctor applies the device along each nerve until the nerve is blocked.
- The ioverao treatment causes the nerve to temporarily stop sending pain signals to the brain without damaging the surrounding tissue.
- Pain relief is immediate and lasts until the nerve regenerates. A treatment with the iora° system can last 90 days.
- The treatment areas are cleaned and bandaged and the patient goes home the same day.
A clinical study showed that patients who received ioverao treatment before total knee replacement surgery demanded 45% less opioid prescriptions 12 weeks after surgery. They also had less pain two weeks after surgery. Patients with chronic osteoarthritis who received ioverao treatment experienced less stiffness 30 days after treatment and reported improved physical function at 90 days.
“Traditionally, opioid pain medications have been the first line of defense against knee pain due to osteoarthritis, both before and immediately after surgery, despite causing side effects that can impair a patient’s recovery,” said Yair Kissin, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Hackensack University Medical Center specializing in knee replacement. “The iovera° system has provided us with a new approach to improve our patients’ recovery and improve patient comfort without opioids.”
“Hackensack University Medical Center is committed to ensuring our patients have access to the latest approaches to relieve pain while reducing opioid dependence,” added Michael A. Kelly, MD, President of Orthopedic Surgery. . “We are proud to have the ioverao System in our arsenal of tools and look forward to expanding its applications to further enhance the exceptional care we provide to our patients with acute and chronic knee pain.”
About iovera°
The iora° system is used to destroy tissue during surgical procedures by applying freezing cold. It can also be used to cause lesions in peripheral nerve tissue by applying cold to the selected site to block pain. It is also indicated for the relief of pain and symptoms associated with osteoarthritis of the knee for up to 90 days. The iovera° System is not indicated for the treatment of central nervous system tissues. It is important to note that iora° does not treat the underlying cause of pain. Timely recovery is necessary to address and treat the cause of pain. iovera° has been studied in clinical trials in patients prior to total knee arthroplasty and for the treatment of pain and symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. Additional information is available at www.iovera.com.
ABOUT HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
Hackensack University Medical Center, a 781-bed nonprofit teaching and research hospital, was Bergen County’s first hospital established in 1888. It was also the first hospital in New Jersey and the second in the nation to become a Magnet®-accredited hospital for nursing excellence, receiving its sixth consecutive designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The Academic Flagship of the Hackensack Meridian Health network, Hackensack University Medical Center is ranked nationally by US News & World Report 2022-2023 in four specialties, more than any other hospital in New Jersey. The hospital is home to the state’s only nationally ranked urology and neurology and neurosurgery programs, as well as the best cardiology and cardiac surgery program. It also provides patients with nationally-ranked orthopedic care and one of the state’s premier cancer centers (John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center). Hackensack University Medical Center was also ranked as a high performer in conditions such as acute renal failure, heart attack (AMI), heart failure, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, and stroke. As well as high-performing procedures such as aortic valve surgery, cardiac bypass surgery (CABG), colon cancer surgery, lung cancer surgery, prostate cancer surgery, hip replacement, and knee replacement. This award-winning care is provided on a campus with facilities such as the Cardiovascular Hospital; and the Sarkis and Siran Gabrellian Women’s and Children’s Pavilion, which houses the Donna A. Sanzari Women’s Hospital and the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, number 1 in the state and top 20 in the Mid-Atlantic region in the US news and world report‘s 2022-23 Best Children’s Hospital Report. In addition, the pediatric nephrology program is in the top 50 in the United States. Hackensack University Medical Center is also home to the Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center and is listed on Green Guide’s list of Top 10 Green Hospitals in the US. Our extensive clinical research portfolio includes studies focused on precision medicine, translational medicine, immunotherapy, cell therapy, and vaccine development. The hospital has embarked on the largest health care expansion project ever approved by the state: the construction of the Helena Theurer Pavilion, a nine-story building spanning 530,000 square feet, which began in 2019. of the largest healthcare investment projects in New Jersey and will house 24 state-of-the-art operating theaters with intraoperative MRI capability, 50 ICU beds and 175 medical/surgical beds, including a 50-room musculoskeletal institute.
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