In this episode of RAPM Focus, RAPM’s Social Media Editor, Alopi Patel, MD, engages with author and RAPM Associate Editor Dr. Sesh Mudumbai, MD, MS, and Oluwatobi Hunter, DNP, RN-BC, AGACNP-BC, following the December 2025 publication of their original research paper, “Utilization and opioid outcomes of a transitional pain service in high-risk surgical veterans: a cohort study.”

Dr. Sesh Mudumbai is an associate professor of anesthesiology at Stanford University School of Medicine and director for clinical informatics systems and perioperative analytics at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. His research focuses on understanding pain trajectories, opioid outcomes, and healthcare utilization patterns in surgical populations, with particular emphasis on developing data-driven and informatics-related approaches to improve perioperative care for high-risk veterans. He leads a research program at the intersection of clinical anesthesiology, pain medicine, and health services research.  

Dr. Oluwatobi “Tobi” Hunter is the lead nurse practitioner for perioperative pain management and co-director of the transitional pain service at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. Her clinical interests include perioperative pain management, contingency management for substance use disorders, buprenorphine initiation, auricular acupuncture, and building collaborative multidisciplinary teams. She engages in scholarship through peer-reviewed publications, webcasts, and speaking engagements.

*The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice, and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care, or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Podcast and music produced by Dan Langa. Find us on X @RAPMOnline, LinkedIn @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, Facebook @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, and Instagram @RAPM_Online.

In this episode of RAPM Focus, Editor in Chief Brian Sites, MD, discusses the pros and cons of perioperative gabapentinoids with author and RAPM Executive Editor Eric Schwenk, MD, and Kishor Gandhi, MD, following the November 2025 publication of his brief technical report, “Pro-con debate on perioperative gabapentinoids: a nuanced approach is the best one.”

Dr. Eric Schwenk is a professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA and is the vice chair of faculty affairs and professional development. His clinical and research interests are outcomes after orthopedic surgery, chronic postsurgical pain, and ketamine in migraine. He serves on the ASRA Pain Medicine Guidelines and Regulatory Advocacy Committee.

Dr. Kishor Gandhi is a clinical associate professor and associate residency director at Virtua College of Medicine and Life Sciences at Rowan University in New Jersey. His clinical interests include regional anesthesia and acute pain. Dr. Gandhi has been in clinical practice for 20 years.

*The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice, and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care, or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Podcast and music produced by Dan Langa. Find us on X @RAPMOnline, LinkedIn @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, Facebook @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, and Instagram @RAPM_Online.

This episode of RAPM Focus challenges physicians to think differently about pain after cesarean delivery by showcasing a new approach for patient care after cesarean delivery. RAPM Executive Editor Eric Schwenk, MD, explores the SPACE-postpartum model with Sarah Ciechanowicz, BMBCh, FRCA, following the October 2025 publication of her brief technical report, “SPACE-Postpartum: a multidomain biopsychosocial framework for predicting chronic pain and impaired recovery after cesarean delivery – proof-of-concept report.”

The SPACE-postpartum model is essentially a multidomain symptom system for understanding recovery after cesarean delivery. This biopsychosocial framework brings together five interconnected symptom areas—sleep, pain, affect, cognition, and energy—for early risk assessment after surgery, offering a comprehensive approach to the entire recovery process after cesarean delivery.

Early recovery is not just about pain scores, but about a pattern of symptoms that tend to cluster and shape a patients’ long-term trajectory. By assessing that pattern early on, we could potentially identify a modifiable risk profile for chronic pain and impaired recovery. 

Dr. Sarah Ciechanowicz (“Chye-kha-no-vich”) is a consultant anesthetist at University College London Hospitals, researcher at Imperial College London, and former visiting fellow in obstetric anesthesia research at Stanford University. Her work focuses on improving postpartum recovery and pain prediction after caesarean delivery. She developed the SPACE-Postpartum framework—a multidomain biopsychosocial model designed to identify women at risk of chronic pain and inform intervention in the early postpartum period.

*The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice, and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care, or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Podcast and music produced by Dan Langa. Find us on X @RAPMOnline, LinkedIn @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, Facebook @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, and Instagram @RAPM_Online.

The management of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) continues to challenge clinicians—especially when conservative and interventional strategies fall short. This episode of RAPM Focus, hosted by RAPM Editor and Social Media Editor Ryan D’Souza, MD, explores these challenges in managing CRPS with Daniël van der Spek, MD, and Frank Huygen, MD, PhD, FIPP, FFPMCAI, following the August 2025 publication of their original research paper, “Long-term outcomes of amputation in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS): a mixed-methods study.”

In rare and severe cases, amputation has been proposed as a last resort intervention, but the topic remains completely controversial. How does one weigh the potential relief of unrelenting pain against the risk of further complications and disability from an amputation? This episode explores a fascinating, mixed-method study into the long-term outcomes of patients with CPRS undergoing limb amputation in hopes of pain relief, despite risks of residual pain or phantom limb pain.

Dr. Daniël van der Spek is a medical doctor and PhD candidate at the Erasmus University Medical Center under the supervision of Professor Huygen his research focus is on CPRS with a particular emphasis on interventional pain management.

Dr. Frank Huygen is an anesthesiologist and pain physician serving as the head of the Department of Pain Medicine at Erasmus University Medical Center, and has been a full professor since 2009. His expertise focuses on CPRS and neuromodulation. He leads multiple national and international research projects, and maintains close collaborations with CRPS patient organizations, in both the Netherlands and the United States.

*The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice, and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care, or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Podcast and music produced by Dan Langa. Find us on X @RAPMOnline, LinkedIn @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, Facebook @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, and Instagram @RAPM_Online.

Kick off 2026 with the January episode of RAPM Focus, where RAPM Social Media Editor Alopi Patel, MD, converses with Josh Gleicher, MD, MSc, FRCPC, and Hermann dos Santos Fernandes, MD, PhD, following the September 2025 publication of their original research paper, “Outpatient continuous adductor canal block (CACB) for total knee arthroplasty: a double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled trial.”

Dr. Gleicher is a staff anesthesiologist and regional anesthesia expert at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada. He completed his anesthesiology training and fellowship in regional anesthesia at the University of Toronto and holds a master’s degree in quality improvement and patient safety. Dr. Gleicher has extensive experience leading clinical trials in acute postoperative pain, with multiple funded studies and recognized expertise in anesthesia research. He is also a co-developer of the ISAFE technique for adductor canal catheter placement. In his spare time, he enjoys skiing and spending time with his wife and three kids.

Dr. dos Santos Fernandes is a specialist in anesthesiology and pain management, trained at University of São Paulo, where he also achieved his PhD and completed a post-doctorate program. He has fellowship training in regional anesthesia and medical education at Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, and holds multiple certifications, including the superior title in anesthesiology and European diploma in anesthesiology and intensive care. Currently, he is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto and a staff anesthesiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, with research and clinical focus on regional anesthesia. A retired basketball player and aspiring tennis player, he likes to travel with the family in his free time.

*The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice, and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care, or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Podcast and music produced by Dan Langa. Find us on X @RAPMOnline, LinkedIn @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, Facebook @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, and Instagram @RAPM_Online.

The 2025 year draws to a close with the December episode of RAPM Focus, where RAPM Social Media Editor Alopi Patel, MD, converses with Benjamin S. Brooke, MD, PhD, and Michael “Jay” Buys, MD, following the April 2024 publication of their original research paper, “Postsurgical opioid prescribing among veterans using community care for orthopedic surgery at non-VA hospitals compared to a VA hospital with a transitional pain service: a retrospective cohort study | Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.”

The research study looked at opioid prescriptions after orthopedic surgery for veterans, comparing veterans who underwent surgery at the Salt Lake City VA Hospital to those in the community.

Dr. Brooke is a Professor of Surgery, Biomedical Informatics (adjunct), Population Health Sciences (adjunct), and Chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery at the University of Utah. He grew up in Salt Lake City, receiving his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Utah before heading east to complete his internship and residency in General Surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. During his surgical residency, Dr. Brooke received his PhD in Clinical Investigation at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He then completed a fellowship in Vascular Surgery at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

Dr. Buys is an Associate Professor (Clinical) of Anesthesiology at the University of Utah and Chief of the Acute/Transitional Pain Section at the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center. He completed his medical degree at the University of Iowa and residency in anesthesiology at the University of New Mexico, after which he served as an active duty anesthesiologist in the US Air Force at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio and at Craig Joint Theater Hospital in Afghanistan.

*The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice, and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care, or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Podcast and music produced by Dan Langa. Find us on X @RAPMOnline, LinkedIn @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, Facebook @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, and Instagram @RAPM_Online.

In the November 2025 episode of RAPM Focus, ASRA Pain Medicine Past-President and RAPM Editor David Provenzano, MD, converses with Megan Rolfzen, MD, and Karsten Bartels, MD, PhD, MBA, following the July 2025 publication of their original research article, “Post-Surgical Medication, Awareness, Recovery, and Tracking Using a Phone-Based App (SMART-APP): A Randomized Controlled Trial.”

In their clinical trial, Drs. Rolfzen, Bartels, et. al., tested the hypothesis that a patient-facing educational smartphone app would permit surgical patients to effectively manage their pain while using fewer opioids after discharge.

Dr. Rolfzen is an assistant professor of anesthesiology at the University of Michigan and a scholar in the NIH T90 HEAL PAIN program. 

Dr. Bartels is a professor of anesthesiology, psychiatry, and learning health sciences at the University of Michigan and leads a research program focused on perioperative pain and mental health.

*The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice, and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care, or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Podcast and music produced by Dan Langa. Find us on X @RAPMOnline, LinkedIn @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, Facebook @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, and Instagram @RAPM_Online.

In this unique episode of RAPM Focus, Editor in Chief Dr. Brian Sites’s fellow, Dr. Meredith Peck, discusses regional anesthesia fellowships with Dr. Giselle Maquoit.

Fellowship applications have seen an obvious decline over the past several years due to an extremely lucrative job market. However, regional anesthesia fellowships still offer invaluable experiences for regional anesthesiologists.

Meredith Peck, DO, is a current regional anesthesia and pain medicine fellow at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire. 

Gisselle Maquoit, MD, is a current anesthesiologist at Kennebec Anesthesia Associates, a private practice serving Maine General Hospital. She completed a regional fellowship at Duke University.

*The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice, and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care, or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Podcast and music produced by Dan Langa. Find us on X @RAPMOnline, LinkedIn @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, Facebook @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, and Instagram @RAPM_Online.

Gastric ultrasound can be so important in assessing aspiration risk in any number of patients preoperatively, and POCUS can be an incredibly valuable tool in this circumstance. In this episode of RAPM Focus, RAPM social media editor, Alopi Patel, MD, converses with Jacob Wrobel, MD, and Alexander Doyal, MD, MPH, FASA, following the June 2025 publication of “Developing a method for ultrasound estimation of gastric volume in patients with previous gastric sleeve.”

Dr. Jacob Wrobel is a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and is preparing to begin his anesthesiology residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He has a special interest in the applications for point-of-care ultrasound in the perioperative setting and plans to continue to pursue research in this area in his career as an anesthesiologist.

Dr. Alexander Doyal is an associate professor in the department of anesthesiology within the transplant and vascular anesthesia division at the University of North Carolina. He has a keen interest in POCUS, research, and education. He serves as the POCUS course director in the School of Medicine. He also leads workshops for residents, and teaches and mentors faculty at regional and national meetings. His research interests are varied, and included novel POCUS clinical applications.

*The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice, and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care, or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Podcast and music produced by Dan Langa. Find us on X @RAPMOnline, LinkedIn @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, Facebook @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, and Instagram @RAPM_Online.

In the era of fast-tracked surgery and same-day discharge, anesthesiologists are looking for strategies to optimize recovery without compromising safety or pain control. A long-standing debate centers around whether low-dose bupivacaine or mepivacaine is the better spinal agent to promote early ambulation after total knee arthroplasty. In this episode of RAPM Focus, RAPM Editor-in-Chief, Brian Sites, MD, explores this debate with Clinton Pillow, MD, following the May 2025 publication of “Mepivacaine versus bupivacaine spinal anesthesia for return of motor function following total knee arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial.”

This episode explores a topic faced by every anesthesiologist that manages joint replacements, especially total knee arthroplasty, has grappled with—what is the ideal spinal anesthetic when time is money and same-day discharge is the goal?

Dr. Pillow is an assistant professor in the department of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina.

*The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice, and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care, or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.

Podcast and music produced by Dan Langa. Find us on X @RAPMOnline, LinkedIn @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, Facebook @Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, and Instagram @RAPM_Online.