Kinjo Lab

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My research centers on improving perioperative outcomes and patient satisfaction. I have a particular interest in the area of pain management. For the past several years, my work has focused on the association of perioperative pain and cognitive dysfunction in older adult patients. More recently, I’ve expanded that focus to include perioperative cognitive changes in patients who have sleep apnea. I am collaborating with colleagues at UCSF to implement a care pathway for surgical patients with sleep apnea in UCSF Hospitals. In all of these efforts, integration of cutting-edge technology in the perioperative setting plays a key role. 

Current Research Projects

The Use of Virtual Reality to Reduce Anxiety and Pain in Perioperative Settings (Principal Investigator)

Virtual Reality (VR) is a powerful and inexpensive technology that has been effectively used in healthcare settings to treat anxiety and pain, with minimal side effects. In the last two decades, opioid abuse and deaths related to opioids have increased, and opioid-naive patients are at increased risk of opioid abuse when opioids are used during their surgical procedures. In addition, anesthetics, anxiolytics and analgesics, namely opioids, have myriad side effects that worsen patient experience, and lead to complications and increased costs. There are limited studies on the use of VR in the perioperative setting. Our study is a randomized controlled trial to investigate the use of VR to treat anxiety and pain in perioperative settings. We will recruit 56 patients, 28 in the control group and 28 in the VR group, undergoing short (<2 hrs) hand or upper extremity surgeries under local anesthesia and monitored anesthesia care (MAC). The control group will receive standard anesthetic management and the VR group will be exposed to VR in the preoperative setting and during the surgical procedure, using the clinically validated AppliedVR software. The data collected will include satisfaction questionnaires and pain scores for anxiety/pain pre- and post- procedure, vital signs trends to assess sympathetic response during surgery, and amounts of anesthetics used. We hypothesize that the VR group will show decreased anxiety and pain, increased satisfaction, and decreased use of anesthetics during the procedure. 

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Outcome Analysis of Perioperative Obstructive Sleep Apnea Pathway(Principal Co-Investigator) 

This study will evaluate the implementation of the new care pathway in adult surgical patients with moderate to severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) at Moffitt/Long and Mission Bay hospitals. The pathway includes a protocol to appropriately triage, monitor, and treat patients at risk for hypoxic events. The pathway protocol includes: 1) routine screening of OSA to identify patients at risk for hypoxic events in perioperative period, 2) use of protocolized anesthesia methods, and 3) treatment of patients using perioperative Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) therapy when indicated. At the end of implementation period, we will measure the effectiveness of this new protocol using 1) incidence of postoperative hypoxic and cardiovascular events, 2) incidence of unexpected ICU admissions, and 3) length of hospital stay.

 

 

 

 

Past Projects

Advancing the Multimodal Pathway: Investigating the Use of Sleep and Zolpidem in the Recovery After Shoulder Arthroplasty (Co-investigator)

Shoulder pain at night is a common symptom of glenohumeral arthritis and likely contributes to sleep disturbances. Recent evidence has shown that non-pharmacological sleep interventions can optimize athletic peak performance, fatigue, and recovery. In addition, the use of zolpidem in orthopedic postoperative patients has suggested improved pain control, reduced opioid usage, and higher patient satisfaction. To investigate the efficacy of sleep medicine in the recovery of orthopedic surgery patients we hypothesize that a multimodal sleep pathway including non-pharmacological interventions and the use of zolpidem can improve patients’ analgesia, sleep, and subsequent recovery after undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty. We propose a prospective randomized control trial in adult patients 18 years old and greater who are undergoing elective total shoulder arthroplasty. The aim will be to compare a control cohort of our current standard of care (sleep aid use on an as needed/patient requested basis) to an interventional cohort with evening inpatient zolpidem administration to improve sleep latency and non-pharmacological interventions to improve sleep hygiene, quality, and duration. To assess these outcomes, we will assess inpatient pain scores, opioid consumption, length of stay, sleep diaries, the Leeds sleep evaluation scales, and overall satisfaction.

 

People

Sakura Kinjo, MD, Principal Investigator

Clinical Professor, Department of Anesthesia, UCSF
Anesthesia Medical Director, UCSF Orthopedic Institute

Dr. Kinjo is an anesthesiologist and pain management physician. She graduated from the Ryukyu University, Faculty of Medicine, Nishihara Cho and Okinawa, Japan in 1994. In 2001, she completed residency at University of Texas Medical Center and went on to a fellowship in Pain Medicine at UC Davis Medical Center in 2002. Since joining UCSF in 2005, she’s been actively involved in research focused on acute pain management, postoperative cognition and regional anesthesia.
In 2020, Dr. Sakura Kinjo won The Rocky Challenge Award.

 

Ling-Chu (Mae) Yap, MBBS

Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesia, UCSF
Dr. Yap is a board-certified anesthesiologist with particular interests in acute pain management and regional anesthesia. In her current role as an Assistant Professor of Anesthesia, she plays a large part in resident education and planning regional workshops. Dr. Yap is especially interested in virtual reality's potential to improve the surgical experience for patients. 

 

Junyong In, MD

Visiting Scholar at UCSF

Dr. In is a professor at Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, South Korea.

Dr. In is studying acute pain management, neuromuscular blockade/recovery, and biostatistics. He is also interested in the possibilities of virtual reality for post-anesthetic outcomes in particularly vulnerable patients.

 

 

Alumni Lab Members
  • Maria Victoria (Avic) Magsaysay
  • Azul Galvez
  • Alejandra (Alex) Sepulveda
  • Haojun (Michael) Feng
  • Edward Oliva
  • Valeria Carcamo
  • Marcus Loman
  • Samuel Froines
  • Alexander Yu
Collaborators

Eunjung Lim, PhD
Assistant Professor, Biostatistics Core Facility, Department of Complementary & Integrative Medicine, John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii

Andrew Schober, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesia, UCSF
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

  • Lisa Lattanza, MD
  • Igor Immerman, MD
  • Aenor Sawyer, MD
  • C. Benjamin Ma, MD
  • Brain T. Feeley, MD
  • Alan L. Zhang, MD
  • Drew Lansdown, MD
  • Jonathan W. Cheah, MD
  • Cheri D. Mah, MS
Publications

  1. Cheah JW, Freshman RD, Mah CD, Kinjo S, Lansdown DA, Feeley BT, Zhang AL, Ma CB. Orthopaedic Sleep and Novel Analgesic Pathway (OSNAP): A prospective randomized controlled trial to advance recovery after shoulder arthroplasty. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2022 Jun; 31(6S):S143-S151.
    PubMed

  2. Kinjo S, Zhang AL. Rescue Pericapsular Nerve Group Block for Hip Arthroscopy: A Report of 3 Cases. A A Pract. 2022 Jan 05; 16(1):e01553.
    PubMed

  3. Oguz D, Savli S, Kaya M, Kinjo S, Unver S. Preoperative Pregabalin Prolongs Spinal Anesthesia in Total Knee Arthroplasty - A Retrospective Analysis. Meddiscoveries. 2021; 1(1):1001.

  4. Adelmann D, Khorashadi M, Zhou G, Kinjo S, Braun HJ, Ascher NL, Braehler MR. The use of bilateral continuous erector spinae plane blocks for postoperative analgesia after right-sided living donor hepatectomy: A feasibility study. Clin Transplant. 2021 Jul 01.
    PubMed

  5. Krish G, Immerman I, Kinjo S.Virtual reality may reduce anxiety and enhance surgical experience during wide-awake local anaesthesia no tourniquet surgery: A report of two cases. J Perioper Pract. 2021 Jun 30; 1750458920984048.
    PubMed

  6. Harbell MW, Kolodzie K, Behrends M, Ma CB, Kinjo S, Yap E, Braehler MR, Aleshi P. Extraplexus versus intraplexus ultrasound-guided interscalene brachial plexus block for ambulatory arthroscopic shoulder surgery: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2021; 16(2):e0246792.
    PubMed

  7. Kinjo S, Dudley M, Sakai N. Modified Wake Forest Type Protective Shield for an Asymptomatic, COVID-19 Nonconfirmed Patient for Intubation Undergoing Urgent Surgery. Anesth Analg. 2020 08; 131(2):e127-e128.
    PubMed

  8. Catherine Chiu, Sakura Kinjo. Education and Training: Staff and Facility. Manual of Practice Management for Ambulatory Surgery Centers. 2020 Jan 1; 273-282.

  9. Kinjo S, Schultz A. [Continuous lumbar erector spinae plane block for postoperative pain management in revision hip surgery: a case report]. Rev Bras Anestesiol. 2019 Jul - Aug; 69(4):420-422.
    PubMed

  10. Sakura Kinjo, Alison Schultz. Continuous lumbar erector spinae plane block for postoperative pain management in revision hip surgery: a report of two cases. Brazilian Journal of Anesthesiology. 2019 Jul 1; 69(4):420-422.

  11. Kinjo S, Kolodzie K, Dong K, Zhang AL. The effects of transmuscular quadratus lumborum blocks on postoperative pain in arthroscopic hip surgery: a cohort analysis. J Anesth. 2019 Aug; 33(4):516-522.
    PubMed

  12. Kinjo S, Lim E, Magsaysay MV, Sands LP, Leung JM. Volatile anaesthetics and postoperative delirium in older surgical patients-A secondary analysis of prospective cohort studies. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2018 Jul 27. PMID: 30051465.
    PubMed

  13. Behrends M, Yap EN, Zhang AL, Kolodzie K, Kinjo S, Harbell MW, Aleshi P. Preoperative Fascia Iliaca Block Does Not Improve Analgesia after Arthroscopic Hip Surgery, but Causes Quadriceps Muscles Weakness: A Randomized, Double-blind Trial. Anesthesiology. 2018 Jul 03. PMID: 29975203.
    PubMed 

  14. Lim S, Kinjo S. Exacerbation of chronic pain after dental extractions in a patient with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. Saudi J Anaesth. 2018 Jan-Mar; 12(1):112-114. PMID: 29416466.
    PubMed 

  15. Leung JM, Sands LP, Chen N, Ames C, Berven S, Bozic K, Burch S, Chou D, Covinsky K, Deviren V, Kinjo S, Kramer JH, Ries M, Tay B, Vail T, Weinstein P, Chang S, Meckler G, Newman S, Tsai T, Voss V, Youngblom E. Perioperative Gabapentin Does Not Reduce Postoperative Delirium in Older Surgical Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Anesthesiology. 2017 10; 127(4):633-644. PMID: 28727581.
    PubMed 

  16. Harbell MW, Cohen JM, Kolodzie K, Behrends M, Braehler MR, Kinjo S, Feeley BT, Aleshi P. Combined preoperative femoral and sciatic nerve blockade improves analgesia after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a randomized controlled clinical trial. J Clin Anesth. 2016 Sep; 33:68-74. PMID: 27555136.
    PubMed

  17. Moon TS, Lim E, Kinjo S. A survey of education and confidence level among graduating anesthesia residents with regard to selected peripheral nerve blocks. BMC Anesthesiol. 2013 Jul 17; 13(1):16. PMID: 23865456; PMCID: PMC3737120.
    PubMed, PubMed Central

  18. Leung JM, Sands LP, Lim E, Tsai TL, Kinjo S. Does preoperative risk for delirium moderate the effects of postoperative pain and opiate use on postoperative delirium? Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2013 Oct; 21(10):946-56. PMID: 23659900; PMCID: PMC3742555.
    PubMed, PubMed Central 

  19. Kinjo S, Lim E, Sands LP, Bozic KJ, Leung JM. Does using a femoral nerve block for total knee replacement decrease postoperative delirium? BMC Anesthesiol. 2012 Mar 10; 12:4. PMID: 22405052; PMCID: PMC3364862.
    PubMed, PubMed Central 

  20. Kinjo S, Sands LP, Lim E, Paul S, Leung JM. Prediction of postoperative pain using path analysis in older patients. J Anesth. 2012 Feb; 26(1):1-8. PMID: 22012171; PMCID: PMC3720127.
    PubMed, PubMed Central 

  21. Kinjo S, Frankel A. Failure of supraclavicular block under ultrasound guidance: clinical relevance of anatomical variation of cervical vessels. J Anesth. 2012 Feb; 26(1):100-2. PMID: 22002342.
    PubMed

  22. Leung JM, Sands LP, Paul S, Joseph T, Kinjo S, Tsai T. Does postoperative delirium limit the use of patient-controlled analgesia in older surgical patients? Anesthesiology. 2009 Sep; 111(3):625-31. PMID: 19672166; PMCID: PMC2762324.
    PubMed, PubMed Central 

  23. Kinjo S, Tokumine J, Sugahara K, Kakinohana M, Iha K, Matsuda H, Akasaki M, Yamashiro S. Unexpected hemodynamic deterioration and mitral regurgitation due to a tissue stabilizer during left anterior descending coronary anastomosis in off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2005 Oct; 11(5):324-8. PMID: 16299461.
    PubMed

  24. Nakamura S, Kakinohana M, Sugahara K, Kinjo S, Miyata Y. Intrathecal morphine, but not buprenorphine or pentazocine, can induce spastic paraparesis after a noninjurious interval of spinal cord ischemia in the rat. Anesth Analg. 2004 Nov; 99(5):1528-31; table of contents. PMID: 15502059.
    PubMed