Satish V. Reddy, MD

Satish V. Reddy, MD, is an anesthesiologist who specializes in pain management. He sees patients at:

Center for Advanced Medicine
4921 Parkview Place
Suite 14C
St. Louis, MO 63110

To schedule an appointment at this location, please call 314-362-8820.

Missouri Baptist Medical Center
3015 North Ballas Road
St. Louis, MO 63131

To schedule an appointment at this location, please call 314-996-7200.

Where are you from?

I grew up in Macon, Georgia. I went to the University of Georgia and, later, the Medical College of Georgia, before completing my training at Washington University in St. Louis.

What during your training led you to choose your specialty?

The faculty I worked with and their passion to think outside the box to look for solutions to a patient’s complex pain conditions led me into pain management.

What brought you to Washington University?

When my family made the decision to return to St. Louis, I was encouraged to reach out to the department by a current faculty member. I found it has only improved since I left several years ago after my residency and fellowship. There is still a collegial and supportive environment, even though there has been significant growth both in number of faculty and breadth of treatment options offered. I knew I would be able to learn, teach and offer patients a wide range of treatments in a specialty which has become very dynamic. It is an honor to work amongst leaders in the field and be surrounded both by decades of experience and future generations of curious physicians.

Which aspect of pain management is most interesting?

Finding treatments to minimize opioid use and improve a patient’s function. The number of treatment options we have is exponentially increasing – which makes the field particularly interesting.

What do you want society to know about pain management/pain medicine?

Being referred to pain management is not a sign of lost hope. Our goal is to find ways to manage pain and improve function using a multidisciplinary approach. People occasionally associate pain management with being placed on opioids. In reality, we have a multitude of options available, including procedures (such as epidurals, ablations and nerve modulation), physical therapy, pain psychologists, non-opioid medications and coordination with other specialists.

What types of pain do you help manage and treat?

The majority of what I treat is pain related to the spine and joints. I also see patients with a multitude of less frequent pain conditions. Chances are that I or one of my partners treat any type of pain condition encountered – so reach out to inquire how we can help.

Are there any other new developments in your field that you are excited about?

Neuromodulation has been rapidly advancing over the last decade. We now have the ability to stimulate not only the spinal cord, but also peripheral nerves with electrical signals. There have also been advances in the field of radiofrequency ablation both in terms of targets and technologies, which can improve results.

Which particular award or achievement is most gratifying?

I was one of the chief residents my final year of residency. This was particularly gratifying, as selection was by my peers and faculty.

What is the best advice you’ve received?

It is probably cliché, but I’ve been told to put myself in a patient’s shoes. I try to keep that perspective in mind in challenging situations where there might not be a clear answer.

What advice would you give to future physicians who help patients with pain management?

I would encourage future pain physicians to keep in mind that we are occasionally considered the “last option” when there are no better treatment options for a condition. Spending the time to individualize a treatment plan and consider all of the options available can be the difference between a patient who has little hope of a solution and a return to a quality of life they enjoyed prior to their pain condition.

If you weren’t a doctor, what would you be doing?

I would have become a pilot.