PPMC’s Podiatric Surgery & Medicine team was recently recognized by nearly 1,900 of the nation’s top foot and ankle surgeons at the 77th Annual American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeon (ACFAS) Scientific Conference in New Orleans, La. Out of more than 260 poster entries on display — and thousands more that were submitted for consideration — third place in the Scientific category went to Podiatric Research fellow Hye R. Kim, DPM, AACFAS, and Podiatric Surgery residents William H. Brownell, DPM, Korey S. Dubois, DPM, Andreas C. Kaikis, DPM, Adam R. McDonald, DPM, and Michael T. Rossidis, DPM, continuing Penn’s pattern of top-three triumphs.
The poster, titled “Postoperative Use of Opioid Analgesic in Foot and Ankle Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study,” examined persistent use of prescription opioid painkillers among patients following foot or ankle surgery. By analyzing the electronic health records of 581 Penn patients, the team found that the incidence of opioid use four weeks after surgery was 31.3 percent. They also identified several statistically significant risk factors.
“Our team enjoyed conducting this important and timely investigation, and we currently have several other patient-oriented projects underway,” said D. Scot Malay, DPM, MSCE, director of Podiatric Research at PPMC. “We were very happy to once again have our work recognized by ACFAS, and we appreciate their emphasis on clinical research.”