10/21/2025
Zero pain. Zero opioids.
There's a groundbreaking new protocol at Hackensack University Medical Center, and it is transforming the recovery experience for breast surgery patients.
By using a regional anesthesia technique, the surgical team is minimizing pain, nausea and recovery time, allowing patients to return home sooner, feel better faster and virtually eliminate the need for post-op narcotics.
It's done using PEC I and II blocks, which numb the skin and muscles of your neck and the nerves within it for several hours.
"Since beginning these procedures, the opioid requirements in these patients has been reduced to zero," says Dr. Christopher M. McGreevy, the associate chief of breast surgery at Hackensack.
And it's changing patients' lives. For Sarah, a stage one invasive ductal carcinoma diagnosis led her to opt for a bilateral mastectomy.
What followed was a surgical experience that defied Sarah's expectations. "I walked out of the hospital myself," she says. "As soon as I came out of sedation, I was able to go to the bathroom. I had no pain at all."
While opioids were prescribed, Sarah never needed them. "The first three days, I just had extra-strength Tylenol at night," she says, adding that it was more for peace of mind than actual pain relief.
Even more remarkable was the absence of post-operative nausea, a common side effect of anesthesia that Sarah had experienced in the past. "No throwing up, no feeling of nausea," she says. "That really helped because the immediate sense of wellness was right there."
Sarah's recovery was astonishingly swift. "In terms of self-care, I didn't need any assistance from day one," she says. She was walking the very next day, covering 3.5 miles with her drains in place. Within a week, she was back to most of her daily activities, and by week three, she had returned to her desk job.
Traditionally opioids have been prescribed to manage post procedure pain but Dr. McGreevy says these highly addictive drugs affect the entire body, leading to potential side effects elsewhere. “PEC blocks directly target the nerves responsible for pain in the surgical area, he says, without the side effects associated with opioids, particularly nausea and constipation that can interfere with a patient's ability to eat, drink, and mobilize, which are crucial for healing and regaining strength after surgery.” He believes we may be first in the country to offer this innovative treatment.
"I think [the PEC blocks] really made a difference," Sarah says. "Otherwise, you come home and you feel so sick with the anesthesia. Your throat's all sore. You're already feeling sick, and then you're not eating well enough. It just impacts your sense of wellness."
