RAPM Focus

In this episode of RAPM Focus, Raj Gupta, MD, FASRA, hosts a critical conversation with RAPM Editor-in-Chief Brian Sites, MD, on the intersection of patient care and surgical recovery in healthcare economics, following the December 2025 publication of Dr. Sites’s research letter, “ Impact of removing liposomal bupivacaine from a health system formulary on length of stay: an observational study in...

In this episode of RAPM Focus, RAPM’s Social Media Editor, Alopi Patel, MD, engages with author and RAPM Associate Editor Dr. Sesh Mudumbai, MD, MS, and Oluwatobi Hunter, DNP, RN-BC, AGACNP-BC, following the December 2025 publication of their original research paper, “ Utilization and opioid outcomes of a transitional pain service in high-risk surgical veterans: a cohort study .” Dr. Sesh Mudumbai...

In this episode of RAPM Focus, Editor in Chief Brian Sites, MD, discusses the pros and cons of perioperative gabapentinoids with author and RAPM Executive Editor Eric Schwenk, MD, and Kishor Gandhi, MD, following the November 2025 publication of his brief technical report, “ Pro-con debate on perioperative gabapentinoids: a nuanced approach is the best one .” Dr. Eric Schwenk is a professor of ane...

This episode of RAPM Focus challenges physicians to think differently about pain after cesarean delivery by showcasing a new approach for patient care after cesarean delivery. RAPM Executive Editor Eric Schwenk, MD, explores the SPACE-postpartum model with Sarah Ciechanowicz, BMBCh, FRCA, following the October 2025 publication of her brief technical report, “ SPACE-Postpartum: a multidomain biopsy...

The management of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) continues to challenge clinicians—especially when conservative and interventional strategies fall short. This episode of RAPM Focus, hosted by RAPM Editor and Social Media Editor Ryan D’Souza, MD, explores these challenges in managing CRPS with Daniël van der Spek, MD, and Frank Huygen, MD, PhD, FIPP, FFPMCAI, following the August 2025 public...

Kick off 2026 with the January episode of RAPM Focus, where RAPM Social Media Editor Alopi Patel, MD, converses with Josh Gleicher, MD, MSc, FRCPC, and Hermann dos Santos Fernandes, MD, PhD, following the September 2025 publication of their original research paper, “ Outpatient continuous adductor canal block (CACB) for total knee arthroplasty: a double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled trial...

The 2025 year draws to a close with the December episode of RAPM Focus, where RAPM Social Media Editor Alopi Patel, MD, converses with Benjamin S. Brooke, MD, PhD, and Michael “Jay” Buys, MD, following the April 2024 publication of their original research paper, “ Postsurgical opioid prescribing among veterans using community care for orthopedic surgery at non-VA hospitals compared to a VA hospita...

In the November 2025 episode of RAPM Focus, ASRA Pain Medicine Past-President and RAPM Editor David Provenzano, MD, converses with Megan Rolfzen, MD, and Karsten Bartels, MD, PhD, MBA, following the July 2025 publication of their original research article, “ Post-Surgical Medication, Awareness, Recovery, and Tracking Using a Phone-Based App (SMART-APP): A Randomized Controlled Trial.” In their cli...

In this unique episode of RAPM Focus, Editor in Chief Dr. Brian Sites’s fellow, Dr. Meredith Peck, discusses regional anesthesia fellowships with Dr. Giselle Maquoit. Fellowship applications have seen an obvious decline over the past several years due to an extremely lucrative job market. However, regional anesthesia fellowships still offer invaluable experiences for regional anesthesiologists. Me...

Gastric ultrasound can be so important in assessing aspiration risk in any number of patients preoperatively, and POCUS can be an incredibly valuable tool in this circumstance. In this episode of RAPM Focus, RAPM social media editor, Alopi Patel, MD, converses with Jacob Wrobel, MD, and Alexander Doyal, MD, MPH, FASA, following the June 2025 publication of “ Developing a method for ultrasound esti...

In the era of fast-tracked surgery and same-day discharge, anesthesiologists are looking for strategies to optimize recovery without compromising safety or pain control. A long-standing debate centers around whether low-dose bupivacaine or mepivacaine is the better spinal agent to promote early ambulation after total knee arthroplasty. In this episode of RAPM Focus, RAPM Editor-in-Chief, Brian Sit...

In this episode of RAPM Focus, Editor-in-Chief Brian Sites, MD, discusses the use of buprenorphine for acute pain management with Thomas Hickey, MD, MS, following the February 2025 publication of “ Buprenorphine versus full agonist opioids for acute postoperative pain management: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials .” Dr. Hickey is full-time staff at the West Have...

In this episode of RAPM Focus, Editor-in-Chief Brian Sites, MD, speaks with RAPM Editor Ryan D’Souza, MD, and Nasir Hussain, MD, following the October 2024 publication of “ Hidden Influence? Unmasking Conflicts of Interest from Randomized Clinical Trials on Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Pain. ” Let’s set the stage first. Spinal cord stimulation, or SCS, is a therapy that involves implanting...

In this episode of RAPM Focus, Alopi Patel, MD, speaks with K. Elliott Higgins III, MD, and Courtney Burns, MD, about their powerful pain palette essay, “ Beyond the block: a canvas for well-being and conversation in anesthesiology and pain medicine .” This essay accompanies Healing Emotional Wounds—a community-engaged art piece by medical and scientific illustrator Morgan Granzow.   Dr. Higgins i...

In this episode of RAPM Focus, executive editor Steven Cohen, MD, discusses the September 2024 publication of “ Current state of the pain medicine match: perspective and an eye to the future ,” with Meredith Barad, MD, Anuj Aggarwal, MD, and Lynn Kohan, MD. This letter explores the rationale behind reassessing the NRMP’s utility for pain medicine, examining historical and current trends, and consi...

This AI-generated episode of RAPM Focus discusses the May 2024 publication of “ Single-bolus Injection of Local Anesthetic, With or Without Continuous Infusion, for Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block in the Setting of Multimodal Analgesia: A Randomized Controlled Unblinded Trial ” by Dr. Patrick Rhyner et al.” For anyone facing shoulder surgery, pain management after the procedure is crucial. In t...

Hosted by RAPM Editor Eric Schwenk, MD, this episode of RAPM Focus welcomes RAPM Associate Editor Mark Bicket, MD, PhD, and medical student Sama Ramo following the recent publication of their original research paper, “ Risk Factors for Persistent Postoperative Opioid Use: An Entity Distinct from Chronic Postsurgical Pain, ” included in the February 2025 special edition of RAPM, titled “ Tackling t...

This episode of RAPM Focus introduces something new—an episode generated completely by artificial intelligence, specifically Google Notebook. As part of RAPM’s commitment to exploring innovative ways to deliver content, RAPM is trialing this approach and would love to hear your feedback. This AI-generated episode is centered around an original research paper first published in RAPM in November 202...

In this episode of RAPM Focus, Editor-in-Chief Brian Sites, MD, is thrilled to welcome Kesavan Sadacharam, MD, and Allison Fernandez, MD, following the April 2024 publication of their original research paper, “Multisite prospective study of perioperative pain management practices for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in adolescents: Society for Pediatric Anesthesia Improvement Network (SPA...

In this episode of RAPM Focus, Editor-in-Chief Brian Sites, MD, is thrilled to welcome Laura Graham, PhD, MPH, and Sesh Mudumbai, MD, MS, following the April 2024 publication of their brief technical report, “ Use of natural language processing method to identify regional anesthesia from clinical notes .” One definition of medicine is the science and practice of the diagnosis treatment in preventi...

In this special episode, RAPM Focus takes a break from its usual format of discussing specific research projects to discuss instead how research in health care is increasingly vital yet often hindered by escalating costs and time constraints. Editor-in-Chief Brian Sites, MD, discusses these challenges with Alexander (Xan) Abess, MD, and Jonathan Weed, MD. Traditional, large scale, randomized contr...

In this episode of RAPM Focus, Editor-in-Chief Brian Sites, MD, is delighted to be joined by Alexander Stone, MD, and Kamen Vlassakov, MD, following the April 2024 publication of their original research paper, “ Anesthesia Start Time Documentation Accuracy where Peripheral Nerve Block is the Primary Anesthetic. ” Understanding the intricacies of billing is crucial for anesthesiologists in all prac...

In this episode of RAPM Focus, Editor-in-Chief Brian Sites, MD, is delighted to be joined by Ryan D’Souza, MD, and Nasir Hussain, MD, following the February 2024 publication of their review, “ Methodological and Statistical Characteristics of Meta-Analyses on Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review .” Both of these anesthesiologists are prolific in their research and contribu...

In RAPM Focus’s latest podcast series, Article Reads, Alopi Patel, MD, narrates “Artificial intelligence and regional anesthesiology education curriculum development: navigating the digital noise” by Kristopher M Schroeder and Nabil Elkassabany. Originally published in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine in June 2024, this daring discourse is now available in podcast format for an all new RAPM...

In this episode of RAPM Focus, Editor-in-Chief Brian Sites, MD, sits down with Michael Barrington, MD, to discuss best practice advisories and policies with systematic reviews. Best practice advisories and policies tend to stem from the results of systematic reviews and metanalysis, thus the stakes are very high for a journal to ensure that the results are meaningful and valid. As part of a RAPM i...