Intravenous Ketamine

By Dr. Steven Reichbach

Intravenous Ketamine is being used with great success in patients with treatment resistant depression (TRD), PTSD, associated anxiety disorders as well as other mental health illnesses. In our practice, we have observed dramatic improvement in some patient’s depressive symptoms, mood and dysthymia, often after just one infusion.  In others, the changes may be subtler.  These subtle changes may include improved sleep, improved focus and concentration, more desire to engage with family and friends, etc. Some patients have expressed disappointment if they have not experienced an “earth shattering” improvement after one or two infusions.  It is important to realize that every patient responds differently and that subtle signs of improvement in function are generally cause for optimism in completing an initial series of infusions.

It is important for patients to understand the goals and expectations for undergoing IV ketamine infusion therapy.  Patients must be under the care of a mental healthcare professional prior to and ideally following the initial series of infusions. When ketamine therapy is used in conjunction with psychiatric care, counseling and medications, the overall chances for sustained improvement are enhanced.

Chances for success using IV ketamine increase when patients come prepared for their treatment. A less anxious, well rested patient, is likely to be a better “responder.”  At Gulf Coast Ketamine Center, we treat each patient individually, with private infusion rooms, in a very comfortable setting.  We have state of the art monitoring equipment and patient safety is our primary concern.  Family or friends can remain with their loved ones during infusions or can relax in our comfortable lounge area.  Our attention to detail and insistence that each patient get the individual attention that they deserve sets us apart.

Dr. Steven Reichbach has expertise using ketamine for the past 25 years.   As a board-certified anesthesiologist, he understands the drug’s mechanism of action, side effects, dissociative properties and potential complications.  He strives to make IV ketamine available to any patient in dire need of care when no other treatment modalities have worked.

Steven Reichbach, MD
Board-Certified Anesthesiologist
President and Founder, Gulf Coast Ketamine Center

Dr. Steven Reichbach is a graduate of the State University of New York at Syracuse Medical School. He trained at the State University of New York at Stony Brook in anesthesiology with specialty training in pain management and pediatrics during his residency.

Dr. Reichbach has been Board Certified in anesthesiology since 1994. He practiced in New York from 1997 to 2015 as a partner with North American Partners in Anesthesiology (NAPA), the largest private practice anesthesiology group in the United States. In 2015, Dr. Reichbach moved to Sarasota and served at Sarasota Ambulatory Surgery Center, providing anesthesia for patients undergoing various nerve-block procedures.

Dr. Reichbach has worked with ketamine for more than two decades in general anesthesiology. He became an advocate of intravenous (IV) ketamine infusions after observing the relief patients experienced with treatments and reviewing the growing body of research over the past decade supporting its efficiency. These ongoing studies and successful results have inspired Dr. Reichbach to utilize ketamine as a viable and effective treatment for severe depression and neuropathic pain disorders.
He is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA), the Florida Society of Anesthesiology (FSA) and the American Medical Association (AMA).

Lolita Borges, RN
Clinical Director, Gulf Coast Ketamine Center

Lolita Borges, RN has worked in nursing since 1982. She began her career as an LPN and earned her RN degree in 1988. Her profession has taken her through many disciplines in health care, predominantly in critical care.

Ms. Borges brings an extensive background with inpatient dialysis patients, both peritoneal as well as hemodialysis. She was a surgical ICU nurse and a charge nurse in an acute care PACU setting. She was both a procurement transplant coordinator as well as a clinical manager for the New York Organ Donor Network.