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18
Electromagnetic Fields
in Plastic Surgery
Application to Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgical Procedures
Christine H. Rohde, Erin M. Taylor, and Arthur A. Pilla
18.1 INTRODUCTION
Acute postoperative pain is a common complaint, estimated to occur in 80% of surgical patients
(Apfelbaum et al., 2003), despite current available treatment. Postoperative pain leads to increased
morbidity, number of hospital days, and health care costs. The current standard of treatment for
postoperative pain is opioid narcotics, which can have undesirable side effects and the potential for
addiction and abuse. Additional pain modalities have included pain pumps t ...