Anesthesia Assisted Detox

More updated treatments involve anesthesia assisted detox (AAD), also known as rapid detox or ultra rapid drug detox. AAD is the process of placing a patient under general anesthesia, and while the patient is sedated and airway is protected, a physician administers an opiate antagonist with a combination of other medications to clean the body’s receptor sites of all drugs. Some centers report the detox time being anywhere from 1 to 8 hours. Because the patient is asleep, they do not feel the acute withdrawal symptoms. Often times a drug, such as naltrexone, is administered or prescribed to block the body’s receptors from opioids giving the patient time to get the emotional treatment for a successful recovery. Most rapid detox centers highly encourage continuing counseling for their addiction.

When this treatment was first introduced, the protocols and safety of the patient were in question. This was mainly due to unqualified and inexperienced physicians performing the procedure. They were not educated in anesthesia or the safety protocols that must always be followed in any anesthesia procedure. Only a boarded certified and licensed anesthesiologist, utilizing the most up to date safety protocols, should perform AAD maximizing the safety of the patient.