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Regional Division

  • Dr. Christopher Sharrow and Dr. Ashley Shilling use the Ultrasound to place a patient's nerve block.

    Dr. Ashley Shilling, MD, & Dr. Chris Sharrow, MD perform a guided ultrasound block.

  • University of Virginia Dr. Christopher Sharrow and Dr. Ashley Shilling place a patient's nerve block.

    Dr. Ashley Shilling, MD, & Dr. Chris Sharrow, MD place the block on a patient.

  • University of Virginia Dr. Paul DeMarco instructs a resident during a regional anesthesia procedure.

    Dr. Paul DeMarco, MD instructs a resident during a Regional Anesthesia procedure.

  • University of Virginia Regional Anesthesiology procedure

    Dr. Paul DeMarco, MD finesses placing a block with a resident.

  • University of Virginia Regional Anesthesiology Hallway Consult

    Dr. Ebony Hilton, MD, Dr. Ashley Shilling, MD, & Dr. Paul DeMarco discuss a case at the Outpatient Surgery Center.

  • University of Virginia Regional Anesthesiology Doctors consult

    Dr. Peter Amato, MD teaches epidural placement on the Acute Pain Service.

  • University of Virginia Regional Anesthesiology Doctors consult

    Acute Pain Service Leadership Team (r to l): Dr. Peter Amato, MD, Steve Morton, RN, & Colleen Blanchard, NP, consult.

About

The Regional and Acute Pain Division at the University of Virginia (UVA) comprises fourteen faculty whose primary focus is treating patients’ acute pain using regional anesthesia and multimodal analgesia. The regional techniques offered include: peripheral nerve blocks, continuous peripheral nerve catheters, and neuraxial procedures. The Regional and Acute Pain Division provides care in three locations: the University of Virginia Medical Center, the Outpatient Surgical Center, and the orthopedic Center at Ivy Road (OCIR). The three locations are home for close to fifty operating rooms.

Our busy clinical division provides consultation and care for both surgical and medical patients. The Division annually performs more than 8,000 peripheral nerve blocks and continuous catheters annually, over 2,500 neuraxial techniques, and participates in perioperative consults daily.

The Acute Pain Service cares for medical and surgical patients within the roughly 800 bed hospital and provides services to patients every day of the year. The Division works closely with all surgical and medical services, providing a high volume of consultations and procedures for the departments of Orthopedic, Plastic, Vascular and General Surgeries. We provide a multidisciplinary approach to optimize patient care and patient outcomes using evidence-based medicine.

Our Division has a robust commitment to teaching, and prides itself on educating fellows, residents, and medical students. There are currently two accredited Regional and Acute Pain Medicine (RAAPM) fellows and two non-accredited fellowship positions. In addition to learning regional and acute pain, we emphasize modern Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) education throughout the health system.

A Message from the Division Chief

Iyabo Muse

Iyabo Muse, MD Division Chief of Regional Anesthesia, Associate Professor

The Division of Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine at the University of Virginia consists of experts in the use of regional anesthesia and multimodal pain therapies for management of perioperative pain. We provide exemplary anesthesia care for patients undergoing a variety of surgical procedures from orthopedic procedures such as major joint replacement surgeries and sports medicine, to other surgeries such as plastic, vascular, gynecological, and general surgeries.

All of our faculty are highly skilled and experienced in the use of ultrasound. We currently have 14 faculty members with diverse training and experiences from renowned institutions. Our faculty have received national and international recognition as leaders in advancing the practice of regional anesthesia and hold leadership positions in major anesthesiology societies, such as ASRA, ASA, and SAMBA. They are innovators in education, have won teaching awards, and have taught international courses and workshops.

One of our team goals is to provide individualized patient care for optimal acute pain management utilizing ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks and neuraxial anesthesia to minimize the reliance on opioids in the perioperative setting. The service we provide is a major reason for the success of the various Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols, and it allows traditionally inpatient procedures to de done as same-day procedures. Joint replacement surgery is a great example of these procedures. It is very satisfying to see patients walk within hours after surgery with minimal pain and going home feeling comfortable and optimistic about their rehab.

As experts in ultrasound guidance, the regional team have also played an important role in educating and advancing the use of Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) for perioperative management of patients at UVA. Not only are we needed for optimal perioperative pain management, we use bedside ultrasound to help evaluate patients’ volume status and diagnose cardiovascular and pulmonary issues in the perioperative setting.

However, most importantly, what I value most within UVA’s Division of Regional Anesthesia is the camaraderie, collaboration, and support among members of the division, our surgical colleagues, nurse anesthetists, and the regional perioperative nurses. We all have the same goal: ‘providing safe, efficient, and effective care to all of our patients.’

Acute Pain Service (APS)

The Acute Pain Service (APS) care team is here to help navigate patients through their hospitalization more comfortably. Our experienced team is able to add specialized medications or nerve blocks to improve patient pain control. We can also aid the surgical or medical team in utilizing existing pain medications more effectively.

Our physicians are anesthesiologists and/or full-time pain physicians. All have completed additional fellowship training in regional anesthesia and/or pain medicine and are board certified in their fields. Our physicians teach regional anesthesia and pain medicine to residents, fellows, and students who learn to actively manage the service. Many of our doctors are actively involved in pain-related research projects and national societies. Our nurse practitioner and nurse coordinator have many years of experience specific to acute pain management and are empathetic to patient concerns.

Our Division