Post-op pain management
Posted Friday, January 22, 2010
Some pain and discomfort following a surgical procedure are expected, and managing it is important for your well-being and recovery. With some procedures, where oral painkillers have been prescribed in the past, patients are now being offered pain pumps.
While oral painkillers enter the bloodstream and can affect the whole body (such as drowsiness or nausea), a pain pump is a device that delivers anesthetic directly to the surgery site with side-effects that generally don’t affect the whole body.
Pain pumps aren't for everyone, nor are they appropriate for every type of surgery. Most commonly, these are beneficial to body contouring surgery like breast procedures, tummy tucks and body lifts.
Whether or not they are a better choice for you than oral medication depends on you, your procedure and your doctor. Discuss the options with your doctor prior to your surgery.
Tags: anesthetic, bodylift, breast augmentation, breast implants, breast reduction, medication, pain, pain pump, post-op, post-surgery, side effects, surgery, tummy tuck
- Dr. Kenneth R. Beer
- Dermatologist
Author, speaker and cosmetic consultant to companies like Allergan, Medicis and Johnson & Johnson, Dr. Kenneth R. Beer has established himself as a premier dermatologist and dermatopathologist, well-known for his customized care and progressive approach to aesthetics and skin cancer surgery/reconstruction. His state-of-the-art practice is home to individualized treatment plans that translate into thousands of satisfied patients and healthier, more youthful-looking complexions. Offering a plethora of cosmetic services, Dr. Beer has honed a successful word-of-mouth reputation, contributing to a worldwide patient following.
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