India has been successfully positioned as a medical surgery destination that has volunteer surgeries of higher worth at fairly lower prices.

Post-surgical pain is an inevitable part of the recovery process. However, unmanaged pain can lead to complications such as prolonged hospital stays, delayed recovery, and increased risk of chronic pain.

Effective pain management is essential to mitigate these risks and promote faster healing.

Karetrip is here with a guide on how to manage post-surgical pain in Indian hospitals. Let’s dive in.

What is Pain?

According to the International Association for Study of Pain, it is defined that pain is “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience, one that can be caused by or resemble that caused by actual or potential tissue damage”.

Pain can also be categorised as nociceptive or inflammatory pain and as such was classified as physiological pain or pathological pain.

Physiological pain is an everyday kind of pain and signifies a range of temporary and normal bodily sensations experienced in reaction to stimuli that are sufficiently intense enough to pose an imminent threat to its tissues or create square patches of tissue injury excluding the initiation of an inflammatory response or damaging the nervous system.

Pathological pain is defined as a stimulus that occurs as an outcome of either the body’s inflammatory response in case of tissue injury or from pathological conduction of the nervous system.

Chronic pain of pathological nature means the breakdown of its normal ability to be selective or specialised.

High-Pain surgeries

Surgery which is most painful is usually carried out where the condition of the patient is severe and complicated by diseases such as cancer, orthopaedic and neurological diseases, and organ failure.

Some operations such as craniotomy for the brain tumour, thoracotomy for cancers of the lung and laparotomy for cancers of the pancreases are so painful.

Furthermore, certain types of surgery such as spinal fusion, joint replacement, amputation, and tumour sources cause severe postoperative pain.

Complex surgery like organ transplantation, for instance, kidney or liver transplant will call for good pain management as will cardiovascular surgeries like the coronary artery bypass grafting or heart valve replacement.

Also, emergency surgeries, which are done in cases of trauma like multiple bone fractures or major burns can be very painful. Such procedures may need effective management of pain and the choice of anaesthetic methods in order to limit a patient's suffering and facilitate healing.

What is Pain Management?

Pain management depends on various disciplines which are applied in an attempt to minimise the pain experienced by a patient and enhance or maintain the patient’s quality of life. It includes drug therapy, non drug management and also empowering the patient with information.

Pain management is vital for several reasons:

First, it brings comfort to the patient, which enables the patient to relax and thus fast recovery.

It allows second mobilisation that is considered vital in preventing some associated diseases like blood clots or muscle wastage.

Optimal pain management lowers the likelihood of developing chronic pain that one way or the other hinders an individual’s quality of life in future.

Methods of Pain Management

Pharmacological Treatments Medications

We use a variety of medications to manage pain, including:

• Non-Opioid Analgesics: These are mostly used as initial therapies and they include, analgesics like acetaminophen, and anti-inflammatory drugs like the NSAIDs. They are useful for minor to moderate pain.

• Opioids: For moderate to severe pain, drugs called opioids like morphine, oxycodone and fentanyl may be prescribed Importance of Pain Management During the Surgical Rehabilitation Process. These are usually employed sparingly since they may lead to dependency and the occurrence of certain side effects.

• Local Anaesthetics: These can be given through injections or through a nerve block to experience numbing or the area where the pain is felt.

Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA):

Through the already set amounts of doses which are administered through a pump, PCA enables the patient to directly control the administration of pain relievers. This method offers quick pain relief to the patients and helps give them an independent way of managing their pain.

Non-Pharmacological Therapies:

Physical Therapy: It is usually done by a physiotherapist, who forms part of the rehabilitation team in the treatment process. It minimizes pain, enhances mobility and reduces complications which may arise like muscle rigidness and joint concerns. Pain relievers are prescribed through discussion with their patient to establish magnified exercise regimens, which is facilitated by our physical therapists.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is an approach that is similar to the medical treatment aimed at modifying patients’ attitude toward pain. They are ways like relaxation procedures, stress management, and means of handling stress.

Acupuncture and Massage Therapy: Other complementary and alternative medicine such as needle stimulation and massage can also be of help in controlling postoperative pain. Such therapies can assist in pain reduction, increase blood flow, and assist with relaxation procedures.

Benefits of Effective Pain Management

Enhanced Patient Comfort:

Pain control helps ensure that patients may receive access to maximum relief from the TNM cancer pain scale which is pivotal in a patient’s welfare. That is the reason when the atmosphere is favourable the patients are able to find time to take a nap which is helpful in recovery.

Faster Recovery:

It allows patients to start rehabilitation and such activities in general, as soon as the pain is controlled. This intervention reduces the possibility of development of further complications and also fastens up the rehabilitation period.

Improved Patient Outcomes:

Pain is a key determinant of outcome in that patients who get well managed, for example through effective pain relief measures are likely to have shorter hospital stays, fewer readmissions and higher satisfaction levels.

The information provided represents the views and opinions of Karetrip. It is crucial to conduct your own independent research before making any decisions regarding your healthcare journey. - Disclaimer