Pioneer of Novel PTSD Medical Treatment Aims to Expand Accessibility

New York City NY

03 June, 2022

4:19 PM

Description

Chicago-based board-certified anesthesiologist and pain specialist, Dr. Eugene Lipov, M.D., along with the nonprofit Erase PTSD Now, are spreading awareness about a medical procedure that can eliminate Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) has been used since 2006 to treat sexual assault survivors, veterans and other patients suffering from PTSD. Erase PTSD Now will host a campaign launch event on Thursday, June 23 from 4-6 p.m. at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square to increase awareness of the treatment and raise funds for those who need it, despite its cost. The launch will also be live-streamed for those who would like to participate virtually. "PTSD is a real biological phenomenon, and SGB offers a unique opportunity to treat patients in the early stages of their trauma to offer them hope," said Dr. Lipov. "It is my sincere wish to raise funds to treat as many people as we can." SGB has been administered safely by doctors over the past century for pain management, and more than 15 years ago Dr. Lipov became the first physician to adopt the technique to treat PTSD symptoms. The procedure delivers ultrasound-guided injections of local anesthetic into the stellate ganglion, a nerve bundle in the neck, to reset a patient's fight/flight system to the pre-trauma state. The procedure takes only minutes to perform and can take effect in as little as 30 minutes, with results lasting months and even years in some patients. "I have successfully treated more than 1,500 individuals with the SGB procedure, and know there are many others who have received it at a number of respected medical institutions around the world, such as Walter Reed Military Hospital, Fort Bragg Medical Facility, San Diego Naval Hospital, VA Long Beach, Tripler Army Medical Center and Germany's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, among others." SGB for PTSD has seen remarkable success in its nearly two decades of use, and has undergone multiple studies. A 2019 randomized clinical trial of active-duty service members at Fort Bragg, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, revealed SGB was effective in reducing PTSD symptom severity scores among patients who received treatment. NYU Langone Health will begin its own clinical trial this month to test the effects of SGB for PTSD in diverse patient populations, including sexual abuse survivors and other non-veterans who've experienced severe trauma. Not currently covered by insurance, Dr. Lipov and Erase PTSD Now seek to raise funds for SGB procedures at this event and beyond, providing donors with the opportunity to help change lives by sponsoring the procedure for patients in need. For more information, visit eraseptsdnow.org. ### About Dr. Eugene Lipov, M.D.Dr. Lipov is a Chicago-based board-certified anesthesiologist and pain specialist. He is the first to use the Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in veterans, victims of Military Sexual Trauma, and victims of sexual abuse, among others. Aside from serving as Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Illinois and as the Illinois Masonic Pain Management Center's director, Dr. Lipov is also the Founder and Chief Science Officer at Erase PTSD Now. He currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer of the Stella Center, which offers ground-breaking PTSD therapy at more than 40 locations in the U.S., four locations across Australia, and at one location in Israel. Dr. Lipov is a founding member and the first president of The Illinois Chapter of The American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. Dr. Lipov is a subject matter expert in PTSD and its treatment and is available for media interviews. About Erase PTSD NowErase PTSD Now, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to treating PTSD. Established in 2009, the organization has been committed to sponsoring treatment for the SGB procedure, helping fund ongoing research, and promoting awareness about PTSD symptoms and treatment around the world.