CompuMed: A Pain-Free Alternative For Anesthesia?

Many patients are fearful of the pain and pinching associated with syringes and needles. Often, the anticipation of the anesthetic needle causes more discomfort and distress than the procedure itself. Milestone Scientific recently introduced an alternative to the traditional anesthetic needle injection that may reduce the pain and anxiety needles cause.
The CompuMed system delivers computer-controlled anesthesia, which you can regulate. The system features a slow injection mode and a fast injection mode. The company says the system’s microprocessor automatically delivers safe and effective administration for different tissue densities.
The system also features the Wand and its pen-like design allows you to accurately and easily position the needle to administer the anesthesia. According to the company, you don’t have to worry about needle deflection anymore since the Wand’s needle features a new bi-directional rotation insertion technique that tracks straight through to the target site.
Introduced in 1997 to the dental industry, the CompuMed system has been used for over 9 million injections. In a recent study published in Diseases of the Colon and Rectum, over 80 percent of patients perceived pain from the Wand injection to be “minimal or slight.”
According to Milestone, the CompuMed system helps ensure patient satisfaction and keeps them coming back to your office.

What The Doctors Are Saying
Adam Landsman, DPM, PhD, calls the CompuMed Wand system, “fascinating” and “can’t say enough about it.” Dr. Landsman, the Director of Research at the Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine at Finch University, has used the system on about 160 patients and notes the biggest benefit is the “no pain” factor for his patients.
Dr. Landsman, who is also in practice at the Illinois-based Weil Foot And Ankle Institute, uses the Wand for bunion surgery, ingrown nails, diagnostic blocks and as a pre-injection for treating heel pain. The system allows him to do more office-based procedures with his patients wide awake. Prior to the Wand, Dr. Landsman used more traditional methods such as freezing the skin, MetaJet and syringes.
Thomas S. Roukis, DPM, a colleague of Dr. Landsman at the Weil Institute and an Associate of the ACFAS, also advocates the Wand, remarking it is “very user friendly, high-tech and affords reliable anesthesia.”
Dr. Roukis says it is particularly useful in treating children and adolescent patients who normally experience pain with a local anesthesia even with a spray or cream to decrease the initial injection pain. He uses the Wand for “in office minor surgical procedures, predominantly pathologic nail-related procedures.”
Matt Leavitt, DO, uses the Wand predominantly on hair transplant patients (who often require more anesthesia), in excisions and in a number of cosmetic procedures, such as Mohs surgery. Dr. Leavitt, the Founder and Medical Director of Medical Hair Restoration (MHR), sees a “big difference” with the Wand system as it nearly eliminates pain and discomfort in his patients.
In a study he conducted among hair transplant patients, those treated with the Wand system were extremely satisfied at the minimal amount of pain whereas patients treated with traditional anesthesia had significantly higher amounts of pain.
According to Dr. Leavitt, the Wand gives you much better control over other methods of injecting anesthesia and it also allows you to use a smaller amount of anesthesia on his patients due to the slow mode (one drop delivery every two seconds).

Is the System Cost-Effective?
Dr. Landsman considers CompuMed to be a cost-effective and reasonable system that has more than paid for itself. He has had 30 to 40 referrals with the Wand. Dr. Roukis agrees. Initially concerned with the “added costs” such as the syringe, needle and delivery system, Dr. Roukis has found the entire system reasonably priced. Dr. Leavitt has found the Wand very cost-effective with an easy learning curve.