Ketamine therapy is a small IV infusion based on weight that lasts 40 minutes. “During the infusion, most people feel a slight euphoria. We don’t want them to disassociate or disconnect; rather, want them to be present and aware of their surroundings and what’s going on. The objective is to lift patients out of negative feelings, which is nothing like ‘K-hole’ where people are abusing the medication in club settings,” explains Dr. Bassili. “The brain is like a muscle that we have to train. Ketamine therapy actually regrows the happy neuron tracks in the brain, otherwise known as neuroplasticity. When we’re having healthy, happy thoughts and feelings with ketamine in our system, ketamine actually helps regrow neurons to map those healthy, happy feelings in the amygdala of the prefrontal cortex. The end result is patients walk away with new neural pathways to process those happy, positive feelings.
“Ketamine stays in our systems for about 48-72 hours, so I recommend that patients go home and watch happy movies, read happy books, do anything that makes them feel pleasant while ketamine is still working and growing those happy pathways,” shares Dr. Bassili. “And because of the small doses and half-life, ketamine therapy is not addicting.”
Research recommends patients begin with six infusions over the first two to three weeks. After that, maintenance dosing is all that’s required. “Some patients come in every two weeks, some come in once a month—whenever they feel symptoms coming back. I’ve had patients do the six infusions, and a month later, they’re still doing great. The number of maintenance treatments is entirely patient-dependent. For patients with suicidal ideation, one dose can reduce those thoughts significantly. So, even just one infusion can help patients for 72 hours, enough to get into inpatient treatment. Ketamine is offering great results, and I use it quite a bit in my day-to-day practice as an anesthesiologist—especially with chronic pain patients. Often, patients with chronic pain are also experiencing depression and anxiety, and that’s where ketamine can help,” explains Dr. Bassili.
Ketamine was developed in the 1940s for the World War II battlefield and was used extensively with Vietnam vets. “The idea was that soldiers could disassociate on the battlefield before arriving at a safe place to operate,” explains Dr. Bassili. “With ketamine, the patient doesn’t stop breathing; rather, mentally, you just are not there. Ketamine is used all the time in the operating room for deliveries and C-sections. When the spinal or epidural isn’t working well, and the mom’s having a lot of discomfort, she will receive a dose of ketamine to disassocate so the operation can be finished without discomfort.”
In April 2017, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published “A Consensus State on the Use of Ketamine in the Treatment of Mood Disorders.” Later that year, the Ketamine Research Institute brought psychiatrists and anesthesiologists together to develop consensus guidelines for using ketamine to treat mental health problems. “The consensus guidelines were just that—guidelines on how to administer it, dosing, when to use it, etc. Since then, more and more research has come out using those guidelines showing that ketamine is very effective for depression, anxiety, PTSD, and drug addiction,” explains Dr. Bassili. “On The Mend Recovery has been treating patients for about a year and a half, and we have seen a lot of success.”
Dr. Bassili’s biggest concerns right now are financial, as healthcare insurance companies are refusing to cover ketamine therapy. “Healthcare insurance companies are making a lot of money and they’re in the business of taking care of people. When companies are taking care of people, I feel like they should operate by a separate set of rules, and I put my money where my mouth is. We offer discounts first responders and veterans who are struggling financially. In fact, On the Mend Recovery in Dallas isn’t making money yet; we’re just staying afloat—everything we make goes right back into the practice,” shares Dr. Bassili. “Regardless, I am dedicated to this practice as the results are very exciting. I love what I’m doing for my patients.”
Close Up Radio will feature Dr. Lisa Bassili in an interview with Jim Masters on Friday, July 26th at 2pm EST
Listen to the show on BlogTalkRadio
If you have any questions for our guest, please call (347) 996-3389
For more information about Dr. Lisa Bassili and On the Mend Recovery, please visit https://onthemendtx.com/
Lou Ceparano
Close Up Television & Radio
+1 631-850-3314
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook