PatientFamilyGuide.PDF

Patient Family Guide 2017 Managing Pain After Surgery Aussi disponible en français : Gestion de la douleur après une opération (FF85-1339) www.nshealth.ca Managing Pain After Surgery What is pain? Pain is an unpleasant feeling. Pain is a unique feeling that only you can understand. Some people think that pain after surgery is something that you must put up with. This is not true. It is important that your pain is managed well. We want to work with you to avoid and help your pain. When you are in the hospital, we will ask you to tell us about your pain using a scale from 0-10. If 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain ever, what number would you give your pain? No pain Worst pain ever 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 We want to know about your pain at rest and also when you are moving around. 1 Why is pain control so important? Less pain means less stress on your body. Your body heals better with less stress. With less pain, you start walking, doing your breathing exercises, and getting your strength back quicker. This lowers your chance of problems such as infection and blood clots. What can I do to help keep my pain under control? Before surgery Ask your doctor or nurse what to expect. Being ready helps put you in control. Some questions to ask are: › Will there be pain after surgery? › How long is the pain likely to last? › How will my pain be controlled? After surgery When should I ask for pain medicine? Take your pain medicine when the pain starts. If you know that your pain will get worse when you start walking or during deep breathing and/or coughing exercises, take your pain medicine first.