Anesthesia: Two New Advances at GW Hospital

ON-Q® Pain Relief System

A small, balloon-like device, the ON-Q pain pump continuously delivers pain medication, for up to 72 hours, through a tiny tube to the nerves that trigger sensation at the surgical incision site, keeping the area numb. Patients are able to leave the hospital with the ON-Q in place. When it's empty, the patient can remove the tube and simply throw the device away. The ON-Q pain pump currently is used in orthopaedic surgeries, mastectomies and trauma cases.

SonoSite MicroMaxx®

To deliver a successful anesthetic injection, an anesthesiologist must position the syringe so that the injected medication surrounds the nerve without the needle touching the nerve or a blood vessel. The SonoSite MicroMaxx is a portable ultrasound device that allows anesthesiologists to see the nerves and surrounding tissue on a monitor, allowing them to precisely target the injection.