Pain After Surgery

There's no way around it: Even minor surgery will leave you with some degree of pain. However, keeping this pain to a minimum will not only increase your comfort, but actually speed healing.

Causes

Pain after surgery is an inevitable result of injury to your skin, muscles, and nerves during the operation. The amount of discomfort may be affected by the length of the operation. Other causes of post surgical pain include the type of anesthetic used during the operation, gas in your bowels, and anxiety.

Signs/Symptoms

Pain in the area of the surgery may be accompanied by anxiety, restlessness, sweating, and an inability to move. If you have to much pain to walk, talk, or breathe normally, you need more medication to ease your suffering.

Patients who have undergone these surgical procedures are more likely to develop chronic post-surgical pain:

• Limb amputation
• Mastectomy
• Thoracotomy
• Cholecystectomy
• Hernia Repair
• Breast Surgery

Pain After Surgery Treatment Options at THE PAIN SPECIALIST

Most of our patients at the THE PAIN SPECIALIST CENTRE benefit from the use of medications, which could include orally taken drugs and local anaesthetics. Our specialists may also prescribe acupuncture and minimally invasive targeted injections. In major operations, morphine and epidural/nerve blocks offer the best pain relief.

New techniques are also emerging, offering pain relief without causing much side effects. One such technique is the use of advanced nerve blocks via a catheter after a total knee replacement.

For severe cases of chronic post-surgical pain, implantable devices may have to be considered.

Chronic post-surgical pain often causes patients significant distress and in severe cases, depression. At the THE PAIN SPECIALIST CENTRE, you will benefit from having a psychologist involved in your care.

If you are already suffering from pain after surgery and looking for treatment or seeking a doctor's help, click here.