News

Centennial Hills Hospital is the first acute care hospital in Las Vegas to offer the iovera° treatment as part of its pre-operative pain management treatment for primary and revision total knee replacement surgery. The iovera° treatment is a clinically proven, non-opioid [narcotic], pain management solution that uses the body's natural response to cold to relieve pain.

“Iovera° blocks the pain signals from the incision site of the knee replacement for 90 days, which allows for a decreased use of narcotics during and after surgery,” explained Anderson Hu, DO, anesthesiologist. “A reduced use of narcotics allows for a faster psychological recovery following anesthesia, a shorter hospital stay, and helps patients to be more mentally focused after surgery to initiate the physical therapy process.”

“Patients who utilize the iovera° treatment are more comfortable during their recovery,” said Parminder Kang, MD, orthopedic surgeon. “They also achieve a greater range of motion sooner than patients who do not use the treatment.”

Additionally, because the treatment is administered two weeks prior to surgery, patients experience a decrease in chronic knee pain, contributing to a more positive mindset before their procedure, added Dr. Hu.

The iovera° treatment is administered by the anesthesia department during an outpatient procedure at Centennial Hills Hospital and takes approximately 45 minutes. It does not require an IV, any post-treatment monitoring or restrictions on daily activities. Patients are able to drive themselves to and from the procedure. A physician referral is required.

“This non-narcotic treatment offers multiple benefits to our patients, especially helping them return to activities they enjoy more quickly, and addressing any concerns and side effects of pain medications,” said Sajit Pullarkat, CEO of Centennial Hills Hospital. “In addition to decreasing pain prior to surgery, the 90-day window helps them perform the necessary physical therapy exercises to strengthen the leg and move the knee forward and backward.”

Along with the new pain management treatment, Centennial Hills Hospital recently enhanced its orthopedic service line by adding robotic-guided technology for spine surgery, allowing surgeons to create a customized surgery plan using customized CT-based three-dimensional models of patients’ spines prior to surgery. A new 36-bed orthopedic surgical patient care unit with its own therapy gym opened in December 2020.  Centennial Hills Hospital was also recently recertified for The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval® for Core Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement and earned the US News & World Report recognition as a High Performing facility for hip replacements.