Sakura Kinjo, MD

Clinical Professor
[email protected]
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Biography: 

Dr. Sakura Kinjo is an anesthesiologist who specializes in regional anesthesia (injections to relieve or prevent pain in a specific part of the body) and acute pain management. She has served as the UCSF Orthopaedic Institute's anesthesia medical director since it opened in 2009.

In her research, Kinjo is particularly interested in pain management. For the past several years, she has focused on the relationship between perioperative pain (pain experienced immediately before, during and immediately after a surgical procedure) and cognitive dysfunction in older adult patients. Her studies include perioperative cognitive changes experienced by patients who have sleep apnea. She is collaborating with her colleagues at UCSF to implement a care pathway for surgical patients with sleep apnea, including by using cutting-edge technology in the perioperative setting.

Kinjo earned her medical degree at the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine in Japan. She completed a residency in anesthesia at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and a fellowship in pain medicine at the University of California, Davis Medical Center. She joined UCSF in 2005.

Publications: 
In J, Chen B, Bae H, Kinjo S. Postoperative neurocognitive disorders in ambulatory surgery: a narrative review. Korean J Anesthesiol. 2024 Apr 03.
Saito Y, Motoyasu A, Tokumine J, Kinjo S, Nakazawa H, Moriyama K, Yorozu T. Hereditary Neuropathy with Liability to Pressure Palsy and Vocal Cord Paralysis After Pulmonary Lobectomy: A Case Report. A A Pract. 2024 Mar 01; 18(3):e01752.
Kinjo S, Chernin T, Siegmueller C, Sharrow CM, Shilling A. Advances in regional anesthesia for ambulatory surgery. Int Anesthesiol Clin. 2024 Jan 01; 62(1):54-61.
In J, Lim E, Kinjo S. Assessment of Perioperative Sleep Characteristics Using Subjective and Objective Methods: A Secondary Analysis of Prospective Cohort Study. Sleep Disord. 2023; 2023:9633764.
Sugita S, Tahir P, Kinjo S. The effects of microbiome-targeted therapy on cognitive impairment and postoperative cognitive dysfunction-A systematic review. PLoS One. 2023; 18(2):e0281049.
Cheah JW, Freshman RD, Mah CD, Kinjo S, Lansdown DA, Feeley BT, Zhang AL, Ma CB. Orthopedic sleep and novel analgesia pathway: a prospective randomized controlled trial to advance recovery after shoulder arthroplasty. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2022 Jun; 31(6S):S143-S151.
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.
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.
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 09; 35(9):e14413.
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. 2022 06; 32(6):136-141.
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.
Sakai N, Yoshida J, Kinjo S. Improved Polyethylene Terephthalate shield and the mitigation of COVID-19 aerosols during airway manipulation. meddiscoveries J Case Rep. 2021; 1(1):1001.
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.
Catherine Chiu, Sakura Kinjo. Education and Training: Staff and Facility. Manual of Practice Management for Ambulatory Surgery Centers. 2020 Jan 1; 273-282.
Kinjo S, Schultz A. [Continuous lumbar erector spinae plane block for postoperative pain management in revision hip surgery: a case report]. Braz J Anesthesiol. 2019 Jul - Aug; 69(4):420-422.
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.
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.
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 09; 129(3):536-543.
Kinjo S, Lim E, Magsaysay MV, Sands LP, Leung JM, Perioperative Medicine Research Group. Volatile anaesthetics and postoperative delirium in older surgical patients-A secondary analysis of prospective cohort studies. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2019 01; 63(1):18-26.
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.
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 Medicine Research Group. Perioperative Gabapentin Does Not Reduce Postoperative Delirium in Older Surgical Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Anesthesiology. 2017 10; 127(4):633-644.
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.
Xiaoguang Zhang, Sakura Kinjo. Do Postoperative Pain Management Techniques Influence Postoperative Delirium?. Current Anesthesiology Reports. 2015 Mar 1; 5(1):10-16.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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):1528-1531.