Editor’s Comment

Excerpt

This study showing the effectiveness of COX-2 inhibition in minimizing the need for opiates after surgery is encouraging. The concept that pain originating at a local site, in this case the chest of patients who have undergone subpectoral augmentation mammaplasty, should be treated at the local cellular rather than the cerebral level makes good sense. This Editor has been conducting a similar study (over a shorter period and with fewer patients) and has reached the same conclusion, although the technique involved a loading dose of 400 mg the night before and 200 mg the morning of surgery followed by 200 mg as soon as oral intake was possible after surgery, then 200 mg twice daily for 3 days. This Journal appreciates the fact that pain is a significant element in the management of a patient undergoing aesthetic surgery, and traditional methods are begging to be replaced by more contemporary, more efficient, and more effective approaches. At this time, the inhibition of the COX-2 enzyme is a step in that direction. …