Improving Pain Management and Recovery for Mastectomy Patients

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According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer accounts for 30% of all new female cancers each year, making it the most common cancers among women in the United States. Treatment for breast cancer can vary based on each patient, but the most common forms are chemotherapy, radiation therapy, endocrine therapy and/or surgery – such as a lumpectomy or mastectomy. A mastectomy removes the entire breast, including all of the breast tissue and sometimes surrounding tissues or underarm lymph nodes.

Operations like a mastectomy can be invasive and painful, leading to a long recovery process. Managing postsurgical pain is one of the most important components of helping patients have a speedy recovery so they can return to their everyday activities. Opioid medications are often prescribed for patients to help manage their pain, but sometimes they can hurt more than help. Opioids come with a laundry list of side effects – including dizziness, nausea, constipation, dependence, and more – which can delay recovery. Thankfully, recent advancements in healthcare and medicine have found non-opioid options to help ease pain after surgery.

Non-Opioids for Managing Pain

I’ve implemented EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension), a long-acting local anesthetic, into my practice’s pain management plan. EXPAREL is injected directly into the surgical site to slowly deliver medication over time. This provides pain relief for the first few days after surgery when patients typically need it most. By adding EXPAREL to our enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols, I’ve seen a huge improvement in patient’s recovery time and a decrease in the amount of opioids needed post-operatively. If patients are still in pain after EXPAREL wears off, I recommend using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or other over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen.

Using EXPAREL in almost all mastectomies has enhanced the overall surgical process for patients. I describe EXPAREL to my patients as a long-acting, local anesthetic that will last for roughly 3 days. I also share that while EXPAREL won’t take away all of the pain from surgery, it will ease the pain as they’re waking up from surgery and getting mobile enough to go home. After seeing the positive results patients have with EXPAREL, I have become a huge supporter of using it and even advocated for use in my own family members who have recently had surgery.

My mastectomy patients are grateful when they learn that EXPAREL can provide effective, lasting pain relief without the use of opioids. While some patients are especially concerned about opioids due to a history of addiction, most are mainly worried about their pain levels and getting back to their normal lives. Before I incorporated EXPAREL into my protocol, many patients were unable to get out of bed after surgery because they were in so much pain. Now thanks to ERAS protocols, patients have a fast-tracked recovery, are able to get up quicker, and can start physical therapy sooner after surgery. The majority of our mastectomy patients are able to go home on the day of surgery because of our ERAS protocols, including using EXPAREL.

Enhanced Recovery and Surgical Experience for Patients

As a patient or caregiver, advocating for treatment options and recovery should be a top priority. Work with your healthcare provider to create a personalized pain management plan. Patients should only have to focus on their recovery and not have to worry about whether or not their pain will be effectively managed. Non-opioid options, such as EXPAREL, can be a game changer in your surgical recovery process by providing lasting pain relief without the negative effects of opioids.

For more information, please visit www.EXPAREL.com/patient.

This article is sponsored by Pacira BioSciences, Inc.

*Dr. Willey is a consultant for Pacira BioSciences, Inc. This is based on Dr. Willey’s experience. Individual patient experiences may vary.

Indication
EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) is indicated to produce postsurgical local analgesia via infiltration in patients aged 6 years and older and regional analgesia in adults via an interscalene brachial plexus nerve block, sciatic nerve block in the popliteal fossa, and an adductor canal block. Safety and efficacy have not been established in other nerve blocks.

Important Safety Information
EXPAREL should not be used in obstetrical paracervical block anesthesia.

In studies in adults where EXPAREL was injected into a wound, the most common side effects were nausea, constipation, and vomiting.

In studies in adults where EXPAREL was injected near a nerve, the most common side effects were nausea, fever, headache, and constipation.

In the study where EXPAREL was given to children, the most common side effects were nausea, vomiting, constipation, low blood pressure, low number of red blood cells, muscle twitching, blurred vision, itching, and rapid heartbeat.

EXPAREL can cause a temporary loss of feeling and/or loss of muscle movement. How much and how long the loss of feeling and/or muscle movement depends on where and how much of EXPAREL was injected and may last for up to 5 days.

EXPAREL is not recommended to be used in patients younger than 6 years old for injection into the wound, for patients younger than 18 years old for injection near a nerve, and/or in pregnant women.

Tell your health care provider if you or your child has liver disease, since this may affect how the active ingredient (bupivacaine) in EXPAREL is eliminated from the body.

EXPAREL should not be injected into the spine, joints, or veins.

The active ingredient in EXPAREL can affect the nervous system and the cardiovascular system; may cause an allergic reaction; may cause damage if injected into the joints; and can cause a rare blood disorder.

Full Prescribing Information is available at www.EXPAREL.com/patient.

For more information, please visit www.EXPAREL.com/patient or call 1-855-793-9727.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

PP-EX-US-9518 8/24

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