5 ways this non-opioid medication enhances surgery recovery in children

For the almost four million pediatric patients who undergo surgery each year, pain is a top concern for their parents. It’s important for parents to discuss how to manage that pain, as it can significantly impact the overall surgery experience, and pre-surgery conversations with a physician can ease a lot of stress.

To help shed light on post-surgery pain management options, Chattanooga pediatric surgeon Dr. Lisa Smith is sharing five ways that of EXPAREL®  (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) — a long-acting, non-opioid pain reduction medication — enhances surgery recovery in children.

1. It’s a non-opioid that extends pain relief for the first few days after surgery.

Many parents share they worry about their child relying on opioids during recovery. In a recent survey, 41% of women said they’re concerned with their children taking post-surgery opioid prescriptions. The concern is valid since studies show three out of ten kids who receive opioid prescriptions will misuse opioids in the future. EXPAREL is a non-opioid that provides long-lasting pain relief + decreases the need for opioid prescriptions.¹

2. It minimizes unwanted side effects in patients six years and above and helps them to get up and moving quicker.

Aside from the risk of addiction, opioids often come with unwanted side effects that can hinder recovery, such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, and more. For children and teens, the side effects can be even more severe, including respiratory depression or very slow breathing. Without those side effects, children often return to normal daily activities sooner.

3. Its long-acting, numbing properties reduce the need for opioid medications.

EXPAREL is a numbing medication that is injected into the pain site during surgery. The medication slowly delivers pain relief over the first few days (when pain is often the worst). Dr. Smith says she uses EXPAREL as a part of her pain management plan in nearly every surgical procedure she performs since it helps her accomplish a key goal: to reduce the number of opioid medications prescribed to pediatric patients.

4. It can shorten hospital stays.

Patients frequently go home sooner — which is great, because no child (or parent) wants to spend added time in the hospital.

5. It is the first and only FDA-approved, long-lasting local anesthetic for children 6+ years.

Given their risks and the alternative options available, Dr. Smith believes that opioids do not need to be a primary pain management tool for young patients after surgery. EXPAREL is not only FDA-approved, but it is also the first and only local anesthetic to be approved as a safe option for children six years and older.

Want to learn more? Ask your doctor about this non-opioid medication and see how else EXPAREL helps pediatric patients.

______________________________________

¹ The clinical benefit of the decrease in opioid consumption was not demonstrated in the pivotal trials.

^Indication

^{EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) is indicated for single-dose infiltration in patients aged 6 years and older to produce postsurgical local analgesia and in adults as an interscalene brachial plexus nerve block to produce postsurgical regional analgesia. Safety and efficacy have not been established in other nerve blocks.}

^{Important Safety Information}

^{EXPAREL should not be used in obstetrical paracervical block anesthesia.}

^{In studies in adults where EXPAREL was injected into a wound, the most common side effects were nausea, constipation, and vomiting.}

^{In studies in adults where EXPAREL was injected near a nerve, the most common side effects were nausea, fever, and constipation.}

^{In the study where EXPAREL was given to children, the most common side effects were nausea, vomiting, constipation, low blood pressure, low number of red blood cells, muscle twitching, blurred vision, itching, and rapid heartbeat.}

^{EXPAREL can cause a temporary loss of feeling and/or loss of muscle movement. How much and how long the loss of feeling and/or muscle movement depends on where and how much of EXPAREL was injected and may last for up to 5 days.}

^{EXPAREL is not recommended to be used in patients younger than 6 years old for injection into the wound, for patients younger than 18 years old for injection near a nerve, and/or in pregnant women.}

^{Tell your health care provider if you or your child has liver disease, since this may affect how the active ingredient (bupivacaine) in EXPAREL is eliminated from the body.}

^{EXPAREL should not be injected into the spine, joints, or veins.}

^{The active ingredient in EXPAREL can affect the nervous system and the cardiovascular system; may cause an allergic reaction; may cause damage if injected into the joints; and can cause a rare blood disorder.}

^{FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT www.exparel.com or CALL 1-855-793-9727. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.}

^{PP-EX-US-8625}