In one of the first uses of traditional acupuncture during a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction surgical procedure, doctors at Jupiter Medical Center used the technique along with traditional anesthesia to help the patient cope with the anxiety and post-surgical pain associated with the procedure.

 

Jupiter Medical Center acupuncture physician Dr. Ken Grey, A.P., D.O.M. performed acupuncture on the patient who sought out the alternative treatment due to her allergies to most conventional pain medications.

 

Dr. Grey performed acupuncture immediately prior to surgery, at the beginning of the procedure, and post-operatively while the patient was recovering, both immediately following surgery and throughout her hospitalization.

 

Developed thousands of years ago in China, acupuncture is the therapeutic practice of inserting fine needles into the skin to stimulate anatomic points in the body. The patient’s response to the treatment prior to surgery was an immediate sense of relaxation and well being that relieved her anxiety. Post-operatively, she was able to recover quickly with her post-surgical pain under control, walking the same day as her procedure. She was home after a two-day hospital stay.