A new pain relief plan during surgery is helping patients get back on their feet quickly after a procedure.

Joseph Deily, a physician’s assistant with Lee Health, says patients often fear having pain after surgery. “One of the biggest fears patients have going into surgery is, oh my goodness I’m going to have so much pain afterwards. We don’t want patients delaying their surgery because of that fear.”

A new pain management plan is now helping patients recover from surgery quickly while controlling their pain. “What the goal of multi modal pain management strategies is, is basically, lessen the side effects of opiate medications, which are narcotics,” said Deily.

The multi modal pain management plan uses different medications that have different mechanisms of action. Medication, like Tylenol, are even being utilized in the operating room. “When you use a bunch of different medications in lower doses, what we’re doing is we’re having more effective pain prevention,” said Deily.

The goal is to use fewer narcotics during and after surgery. “We know from different studies and experience the complications after surgery are increased when you’re using only opioids after surgery,” said Deily.

The new pain management lasts longer and keeps patients form feeling groggy. “The goal is to take deep breaths and walk, and if patients aren’t walking and taking deep breaths then they’re going to be susceptible to pneumonia and that’s our number one complication,” said Deily.

Controlling the pain the first few days after surgery means fewer patients will require narcotics when they go home.

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Lee Health in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of health care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For more than 100 years, we’ve been providing our community with personalized preventative health services and primary care to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Lee Health – Caring People. Inspiring Care.

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Following orthopedic surgery, a dedicated group of physicians, nurses, and physician assistants from the Department of Anesthesiology will monitor your pain and ensure that it does not interfere with the early stages of rehabilitation, says Phil Wagner, MD, an anesthesiologist at HSS. Patient controlled analgesia (PCA), peripheral nerve blocks with long-lasting pain relief, and oral medications are just three ways your anesthesiologist will help you manage your pain following surgery.
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