SARANAC LAKE – Adirondack Health’s joint replacement program is among the first in the region to be approved for a trial using a newly Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved non-opioid medication to treat acute post-operative pain in surgical patients.
Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Bartlomiej Szczech said Adirondack Health will be part of a trial for 100 hip and knee replacement surgery patients, starting early this fall, using Journavx (suzetrigine), which was approved by the FDA in January after favorable results in several university trials.
Journavx is the first-in-class non-opioid analgesic to be prescribed to treat moderate to severe acute pain in adults. Its approval marks a turning point in pain management, offering a non-opioid option that works by blocking pain signals to the brain. Unlike opioids, which act on the brain and can cause a “high,” and subsequent addiction, Journavx works in the periphery of the body by blocking pain signals before they enter the spinal cord. This unique mechanism targets pain closer to its source while avoiding the central nervous system effects of opioids.
Approximately 51 million Americans undergo surgery each year, and opioids remain the primary medication for acute post-operative pain management. Surgery continues to be a critical event where many patients are first exposed to opioids.
“Adirondack Health is committed to fighting the opioid pandemic, and this really could be a game changer,” Dr. Szczech said.
Dr. Lars Galldin, an anesthesiologist at Adirondack Health, explained that the joint replacement patients trialing Journavx will begin the course the morning of surgery. It is an oral medication that is taken twice a day.
"The plan is to reduce post-operative opioids and increase patient satisfaction,” Dr. Galldin said. “Along with our usual anesthesia techniques for our total joints -- which includes anti-inflammatory medications and regional nerve blocks -- the addition of Journavx to the acute recovery phase may eliminate the usage of opioid altogether. This will certainly expedite recovery and rehab for the total joint patients without unwanted, lingering opioid side effects."
Dr. Szczech noted that joint replacement surgery has advanced significantly over the years with improvements in implant design, patient optimization, reduced blood loss, and surgical time. However, pain management after surgery has still largely relied on old medications with opioids serving as the backbone of pain management.
“Journavx finally presents a potentially ground-breaking improvement in post-operative joint replacement pain management, Dr Szczech said. “The use of this medication may revolutionize this old frontier of joint replacement surgery by significantly reducing or even eliminating opioid use in patients undergoing joint replacement surgery.”
If the trial with Journavx proves successful, Dr. Szczech said Adirondack Health would look to expand the use of this medication to additional service lines.
ABOUT ADIRONDACK HEALTH
Adirondack Health is the family of facilities and individuals who have provided sophisticated care to the Adirondack region of northern New York for more than 100 years. Locations include Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake, Lake Placid Health and Medical Fitness Center, Keene Health Center, Saranac Lake Health Center, Tupper Lake Health Center, and the St. Regis Falls Health Center. The highly trained and compassionate individuals working at these facilities provide a full range of medical, surgical and long-term care services. Adirondack Health is the only full-service health system in the Adirondack Park.
Adirondack Health is not only the leading provider of healthcare for the residents and visitors of the Adirondack region, it is also the largest private employer in the Adirondack Park. In addition to the physical and social health of the community, Adirondack Health plays a significant role in the economic health of the community. With more than 900 full-time employees, Adirondack Health has a $169 million annual impact on the local economy. As a result of these factors, and more, Adirondack Health is a key community institution and an advocate for improving the health and economic well-being of the patients, residents, businesses and visitors it serves.
