Hi Debbie,

So sorry to hear you are not feeling well.

I have had many surgeries while having RSD. My pain managment doctor was on staff at the same hosptial as my surgeon. In most hosptial settings from what I can see is the the pain managment dept. is part of the anesthesioloist department, so they have all the easy access to the anesthesioloist(spelling sorry). My PM doctor was very involved with my surgeries and if I remember correctly he was even there just to give help with one. The protocol always involved ketamine as part of the anesthestising(boy I'm reaching with this spelling I apologize,but you get the point). During this nightmare with my right arm my carpel tunnel started to become unbearable in my left, so I had to have surgery to correct it or I would be left not using any of my hands at all. Again they used ketamine, and I remember my surgeon was joking around because a carpel tunnel usually would get done in the same day surgery unit but because of the ketamine being administered I had to be on a full surgical floor, his statement was in his opinion, "it like killing a fly with a sledge hammer", meaning he didn't feel it was necessary but would do what my PM doctor wanted. And I never had a RSD problem with my left arm or my left side at all and through all my surgeries to correct the right arm I did not become worse with RSD.

I truly wish you all the best and please keep us posted.

gabbycakes