National Women's Health Resource Center and Leading USC Surgeon Collaborate to Better Prepare Women for Surgery
The not-for-profit National Women's Health Resource Center (NWHRC) and Dr. Susan Downey of the University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles are working together to launch an educational campaign to get women ready for the approaching surgery season and ultimately help them redefine their recovery.
Designed to convey that recovery begins before surgery even takes place, the campaign enhances patients' relationships with their physicians by providing women with the right tools to ensure a safe, comfortable and speedy recovery, including:
- Pre-surgical Evaluation, Medication Review and Preparing for Surgery Checklists
- Pain Primer
- Post-surgical Pain Relief Options
- Questions to Ask Your Health Care Professional About Post-Surgical Pain and Pain Relief
- Additional Post-surgical Pain Relief Resources
Every year more than seventy million surgeries are performed in the U.S., and a large percent of those take place in the late fall/early winter timeframe; planning begins now.
"Women should be planning today for surgery that will take place during the coming months," said Amy Niles, president and CEO, National Women's Health Resource Center. "The general misconception is that recovery starts only after the surgery is complete. In reality, recovery can be greatly affected by the steps women take to prepare for surgery."
The campaign is driven by the following:
- Surgeries impact women on a large scale as they are not only patients, they are also health advocates to those around them
- According to a Harris Interactive Survey:
- Fifty-five percent of women said that getting back to normal quickly after surgery was their greatest concern
- Forty-seven percent said they feared post-surgical pain
- Eighty-eight percent would ask their doctor about an alternative to narcotics to relieve pain if they knew it was available
"I work with my patients during their very first visit to plan for an optimal recovery. In particular, we discuss post-surgical pain management," explains Dr. Downey. "The first 48 hours after surgery sets the tone for their post-surgical experience; if patients are able to effectively manage their pain, while reducing their need for narcotics, they may be able to get back to their normal lives much quicker."
The campaign is supported by an educational grant from I-Flow Corporation (NASDAQ:IFLO).
About the Campaign
The campaign provides women with new information and tools to guide them from beginning to end as they prepare themselves, or those around them, for surgery. (www.healthywomen.org/redefiningrecovery)
About National Women's Health Resource Center
The National Women's Health Resource Center is a leading independent health information source for women that develops and disseminates the most up-to-date and objective women's health information based on the latest advances in medical research and medical practice.
About Dr. Susan Downey
Currently, Dr. Downey is the Chief of Plastic Surgery, USC / Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at USC Keck School of Medicine. She is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Downey specializes in pediatric plastic surgery, breast reconstructive surgery following cancer and reconstructive surgery following a major weight loss. She is currently engaged in research concerning plastic surgery following massive weight loss and adolescent breast problems.
Dr. Downey has received several awards, including being named one of "The Best Doctors in America" since 2001.
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Media Contacts:
Angeline McCarthy
FischerHealth
310-577-7870 ext. 101
amccarthy@fischerhealth.com
Amber McCracken
National Women's Health Resource Center
888-406-9472
amccracken@healthywomen.org
