Joy A. Stephens-McDonnough
Papers
4
Total Citations
105
H-Index
4
About
Joy A. Stephens-McDonnough is a clinical researcher specializing in perioperative care, pain management, and enhanced recovery protocols within thoracic surgery. Her work has focused predominantly on reducing postoperative opioid dependence and improving patient outcomes following minimally invasive and robotic thoracic procedures. Her most influential contribution, a 2020 study on Enhanced Recovery After Thoracic Surgery (ERATS) protocols, has garnered 76 citations and demonstrated significant reductions in both postoperative pain and opioid analgesic requirements — a landmark finding given the broader opioid crisis in surgical care. Building on this foundation, Stephens-McDonnough has systematically refined these protocols, comparing analgesic agents such as liposomal bupivacaine versus bupivacaine/epinephrine for intercostal nerve blocks, and advancing opioid-free pain management strategies. Her 2022 work further examined protocol optimization across evolving clinical conditions, including a timely investigation into how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted care delivery for thoracic surgical patients at an urban medical center. Collectively, her research reflects a commitment to evidence-based, patient-centered surgical care, making her an important voice in the growing field of enhanced surgical recovery and multimodal analgesia.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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