Pain is normal after surgery
It is a normal part of the healing process.
You will need to get out of bed for walks and help care for yourself after surgery. It is important you are comfortable enough to do these things. There are many types of pain medicines we can give you. Not every patient can use each type though.
There will be pain medicine ordered for you during your hospital stay. People have different amounts of pain after the same surgery. The surgery team has a lot of experience treating pain and will do their best to keep you comfortable.
It is important to keep these goals in mind while you recover from surgery:
- Able to take a deep breath
- Able to sit and walk
- Able to rest
- Able to talk with family and friends, watch TV, or read
At your clinic appointment, a person from the health-care team will go over your medical history and medicines. If you have chronic pain or take narcotics often, you may have more pain after surgery than other patients. Your doctor may talk with the anesthesia team about other types of medicine to keep you comfortable, such as an epidural, a pain block, or different types of intravenous (IV) medicine.
Your pain medicine will be specific to your age, medical conditions, and need. If you are over 60, your body does not break down medicine as well as it used to. The risk of falling and causing serious injury is higher as you get older. Your risk is also higher when you take pain medicine or are in the hospital. The surgery team will make sure your doses are safe.