Pain is a combination of what your body feels and how your mind processes those sensations. Narcotic medicines, such as morphine, are the foundation of pain control in recovery. Anti-inflammatories and sedative medicines may be used. For operations requiring hospitalization, the pain medicines given during recovery are often continued in your hospital room. A PCA allows you to give yourself a narcotic through your IV by simply pressing a button.
Limits are preset to prevent an overdosage.
For major surgeries in the belly or chest, your surgeon may ask your anesthesiologist to treat your pain for the first few days after surgery. This often involves placing an epidural catheter, which is a tiny plastic tube positioned near your spine before surgery. Usually this provides tremendous pain relief with minimal grogginess, thus allowing early walking to hasten your recovery. For smaller operations, especially those in the outpatient centers, the combination of numbing medicine and IV medicines most often suffice for postoperative comfort before you are discharged home. Once home, pain pills are prescribed by your surgeon.