Oral Surgeon and Dental Anesthesiologist at Forefront of New Patient Care Model

DURHAM, NC, January 08, 2011

The Triangle Implant Center, an oral and maxillofacial surgery practice located in Durham, is changing the way oral surgery is performed. Traditionally a single surgeon administers the anesthesia and performs the surgery. Practice founder Uday Reebye, MD, DMD, added a dental anesthesiologist to his staff, and now two doctors are present during surgery. Patient safety is increased, less anesthesia is needed, and surgery recovery time is reduced. The added benefits of this new care model does not cost the patient any more than the traditional care model.

The drive to improve patient results began several years ago. Dr. Reebye was seeking methods to cut down patient surgery and post-op time, which he believed would reduce pain and shorten the recovery time for his patients. As he examined the process and procedures used by oral surgeons, he came to the conclusion that a dental anesthesiologist in the operating room would allow the surgeon to focus on the surgical procedure. Anesthesiologists are present for surgery at hospitals but not typically for in-office oral surgery. Dr. Reebye made the decision to hire an anesthesiologist to be part of the Triangle Implant Center medical team along with Charles Ellis, MD, DDS, Oral and maxillofacial surgeon. The financial risk was considerable because there was no established precedent to follow.

Edward Davidian, DDS, MS, a board certified dental anesthesiologist and Diplomate of the American Dental Board of Anesthesia, joined Dr. Reebye and Dr. Ellis to provide anesthesia for their practice. Prior to becoming an anesthesiologist, Dr. Davidian was in general practice. His interest in sedation grew while he was working with high-anxiety patients. Dr. Davidian left his dental practice to follow his passion for anesthesiology. He was accepted to the highly competitive dental anesthesiology program at Ohio State University. His training exposed him to a wide array of complex patients and cases including pediatric, medically compromised and special needs population. Dr. Davidian is proficient with intubated and non-intubated general anesthesia, conscious sedation and deep sedation. His experience and specialized training were the right combination to help Dr. Reebye achieve his goals for improved patient results.

The key to successfully implementing this new patient care model was having the anesthesiologist involved in the patient consult early in the process. Dr. Davidian knows the patient and the procedure and tailors the sedation for the individual, then carefully monitors vital signs during the surgery and makes changes when necessary. Since the surgeon does not have to administer the anesthesia, the surgery takes less time and exposes the patient to less anesthetic medication, reducing post-op recovery time. In addition, the patient has the added safety of two doctors in the operating room who work together daily.

Dr. Reebye and Dr. Davidian have performed more than 1,600 procedures together refining the system for the best possible patient outcome.

"Dr. Reebye was willing to implement a new approach on a very progressive patient care model. I'm not aware of anyone else doing this," said Dr. Davidian.

The doctors have conducted a study of this new patient care model versus traditional methods that they plan to submit for publication in the coming months. The preliminary results suggest a 20 percent reduction in patient anesthesia and recovery time. This novel model of patient care, dedication to improve safety and surgical outcome has been the driving force behind Triangle Implant Center's quest for excellence.

About the Triangle Implant Center
The Triangle Implant Center is an oral and maxillofacial surgery practice located in Durham, N.C. The practice provides medical services and surgery for dental implants, the process of replacing missing teeth with surgically implanted anchors for new teeth; bone grafting, a process of building up the jawbone to strengthen it for an implant; wisdom teeth, impacted or misaligned; orthognathic surgery, a procedure to correct a misaligned jaw; maxillofacial trauma, treatment of facial trauma caused by accident or injury; and TMJ disorders, treatment of problems of the jaw. Comprehensive information is available on the practice website at http://www.triangleimplantcenter.com.

Media Contact: Eric Schmidt, Winfield & Associates Marketing + Advertising (919) 861-0620