In the United States, aggressive pain management practices have led to an opioid crisis which is responsible for thousands of deaths every year. Among those who have lost their lives in this untimely and avoidable way was Dr. Omar Abubaker’s son. The unspeakable pain of losing a child led Omar down a path of discovery around the dangers of opioids, which are the common go-to pain management drugs for doctors of all specializations, despite their highly addictive properties. Equipped with knowledge and compassion, Omar is on a mission to educate as many people as he can on the subject of opioid addiction, and alternative ways to deal with pain, so that other people don’t have to suffer the same fate as his son. It is our responsibility as medical professionals to do what is best for our patients, and we all need to think long and hard about pain management practices that we advocate for.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Omar’s home country, and his journey to becoming chairman of the VCU OMFS program. 
• How Omar’s weeks are structured.
• The life-shattering experience that led Omar to understand the dangers of opioids.  
• Steps that Omar has taken to educate others about opioid addiction. 
• Why the US population is more susceptible to opioid addiction than most other countries.
• What pain management should entail.
• None: the safe amount of drugs and alcohol to consume before the age of 20. 
• The joy and fulfillment that Omar experiences through the work that he does. 
• How parents’ opinions on opioids being prescribed for their children have changed. 
• The importance of weighing up the risks and the benefits of opioids for each patient.
• Omar’s approach to helping patients manage their opioid addiction. 
• Substitutes for opioids that can be used during surgical procedures. 
• Post-narcotic hyperalgesia: a condition that can come about after being subjected to intravenous opioids. 
• The best book that Omar has read in the past year. 
• How teaching helps Omar to be a better surgeon. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Omar Abubaker on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/omar-abubaker-7a965295 

The Second Mountain by David Brooks — https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/217649/the-second-mountain-by-david-brooks/ 

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi and Abraham Verghese — https://www.amazon.com/When-Breath-Becomes-Paul-Kalanithi/dp/081298840X 

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — [email protected]

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059