Managing your Discomfort

Most patients experience some discomfort after surgery. Each patient experiences pain differently. The amount and type of discomfort you may experience also depends on the type of surgery you are having.This section of our web site is about pain relief after surgery. It explains the goal of pain control and the type of treatment you may receive. It also explains how to work with your doctors and nurses to get the best pain control.

Before your Procedure
To get the best results, work with your doctors and nurses to choose the method that will work best for you. We want to make your surgery as pain free as we can. But you are the key to getting the best pain relief because pain is personal. The amount or type of pain you feel may not be the same as others feel, even those who have had the same operation. Being prepared helps put you in control.

Ask the doctor or nurse:

Will there be much pain after surgery?
Where will it occur?
How long is it likely to last
Be sure to:
Talk about pain control methods that have worked well or not so well for you before.
Talk about any concerns you may have about pain medicine
Ask about side effects that may occur with treatment
You will meet your anesthesiologist in the pre-operative holding area just prior to your procedure to discuss any concerns about how your discomfort will be managed.
Your anesthesiologist and operating room nurse are responsible for keeping you comfortable during your procedure.

After Your Procedure
Your Post Anesthesia Care Unit/Recovery Room (PACU) nurse and an anesthesiologist will manage your discomfort after surgery.
The amount of discomfort you have is usually related to the type of surgery you've had.
In the PACU you will be given pain medication as needed.
You can expect to have some discomfort, but it should be tolerable.
Often you will be given a dose of the pain medication that you will be taking when you are discharged to home.

In the PACU you will be asked to rate your pain
This helps us to objectively evaluate how much discomfort you are having.
The scale that we most often use is the 0 -5 scale.

0 is no pain and 5 is the worst possible pain.

At Home

It is important that you fill the prescription for your pain medication.
• Patients are often comfortable when leaving the ambulatory surgery unit and do not think they will need anything as strong as a prescription pain pill.
• Many surgeons use local anesthesia at the wound site so that you will be fairly comfortable until the local anesthesia wears off, which sometimes does not occur until later in the day when you are at home.
• It is much easier to keep your pain under control than try to alleviate it with more medication once you are very uncomfortable. We recommend that you fill your prescription as soon as possible.
• There are several options available to you including the Neighbor Care in the lobby of the Health Specialist Building. (The SurgiCenter of Baltimore is not affiliated in any way to Neighbor Care Pharmacy)
• It is often helpful to have family members fill your prescription while you recovering rather than making an extra stop on the way home. Please bring your insurance card with you.
• Take pain relief drugs when pain first begins
• It is much easier to control your pain when you take your pain medication as prescribed.
• Most patients on the day of surgery and that evening will need to take their pain medication every 4 to 6 hours. The following day you may be able to take it less frequently as needed.
• As your discomfort lessens you may change from your taking your prescription narcotic medication to Tylenol or ibuprofen like drug as ordered in your discharge instructions.
• As long as you are taking narcotic type medication you should not drive, drink alcohol or do anything that requires coordination or judgement activity.
• If the pain medication prescribed for you is not effective in alleviating the discomfort, you should contact your surgeon.
• Please follow the advice of your surgeon if ice and/or elevation to the surgical area is recommended.
• If you had surgery on your arm or leg, it is best to rest it on pillows above the level of your heart. This helps reduce swelling and discomfort.

• Do not drive while you are taking "narcotic" pain medication.

Problems you should call your doctor for:

Remember, your doctor, or someone covering for your doctor, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In an emergency, please dial 911 or your local emergency service.

Please call your doctor right away, or go to the Emergency Unit for care, if you have any of the following.

• Temperature of 101 degrees or higher, and/or chills
• Difficulty urinating, or inability to urinate
• Nausea and vomiting that last more than 24 hours
• Increasing drowsiness
• Worsening pain not relieved by pain medicine
• Increased swelling around the incision
• Redness around the incision that is spreading
• Bright red blood, or foul-smelling discharge coming from the wound.

PRIOR TO YOUR VISIT

PREPARING FOR THE DAY OF SURGERY

DAY OF SURGERY

ANESTHESIA

AFTER SURGERY

RECOVERING AT HOME  

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

INFORMATION FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY

PATIENTS RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITIES

ADVANCE DIRECTIVES