2008 Stanford Study Proves Injectable Pain Medicine from Pain Pumps Kill Tissue

Cal Warriner

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A very recent laboratory study conducted at Stanford University heavily suggests that common anesthetics used in pain pumps cause significant tissue destruction. The study, prompted by poor outcomes associated with the use of Intra-articular Pain Pumps, revealed that epinephrine and bupivacaine both caused alarming amounts of tissue death in a controlled laboratory setting.

Intra-articular pain pumps are commonly used to reduce the pain associated with surgery. These pumps inject pain reducing medication directly into the joint space. Recently, doctors have noticed that their surgical patients who are using these pumps are developing disabling conditions that often require numerous surgeries and potentially joint replacement.

The results were so impressive, the authors suggested that epinephrine not be used at all and that bupivacaine not be used in certain concentrations for over 48 hours. What is alarming about the ever growing evidence that these pumps are hurting patients is the fact that these pumps continue to be implanted in surgical patients every day and the pump manufacturers continued to sell them without special warning about the potential devastating consequences.

These pumps most frequently are used following routine outpatient shoulder surgery. Joint destruction significant enough to require complete joint replacement has been reported.