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Australian Prescriber Vol. 27 No. 6 2004
Pain relief after surgery
Surgical operations cause pain, so the aim is to reduce this pain as much as possible. This helps the patient make a full recovery from the operation.
Pain can be reduced by giving the patient several different types of painkillers. Giving painkillers in different ways, for example by mouth and by injection, can also control pain. Sometimes the first dose of a painkiller is given before the operation.
In some hospitals patients can use a device which lets them control how much painkiller they get. If they feel pain they can press a button which will give them a shot of pain relief. It is important for patients to tell the hospital staff if they are still feeling distressing pain.
Recovery will be speeded up if the patient can get out of bed as soon as possible after their operation. The patient may also feel better after they have been able to have something to eat.
