With America in the grips of a growing opioid epidemic, Top US Spine Surgeon Dr. Hooman Melamed strives to offer his patients an alternative to opioid-based anesthesia and postoperative care. Drug overdose deaths in the US jumped 4.6% in 2019 to nearly 71,000, including 50,042 involving opioids, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Dr. Melamed specializes in opioid-free neck and back surgery, an approach he finds helps patients recover quicker without the dangers of addiction to powerful medications. In this video, Dr. Melamed explains the importance of opioid-free spine surgery and the superior results his patients have experienced without the use of opioid-based anesthesia or strong medications during recovery.