Our hospital and orthopaedic surgeons have implemented a number of clinical protocols to manage and alleviate post-operative pain for patients following surgery.

Pain management is a complex process and varies between patient and surgical procedure. It is expected that every patient will experience some pain during their admission and it is our aim to ensure that it is managed and maintained at a tolerable level.

We perform approximately 8,000 operations per year including joint replacements of the hip, knee, ankle and shoulder, and as a result pain management is an integral facet of the surgery process.

Our orthopaedic surgeons, anaesthetists and nursing staff implement an individualised pain management pathway, using clinical protocols to control and treat post-operative pain.

This starts with the use of sufficient local anaesthetic based regional “blocks” prior to surgery, minimally invasive procedures which reduce tissue damage and operative time, through to regular pre-emptive incorporation of non-opioid analgesia throughout the hospital stay and extending beyond once discharged.

Patients can be reassured that the use of multi-modal analgesia pain management combined with non-pharmaceutical measures such as cold therapy and compression (where applicable) are highly effective in managing the vast majority of acute post-operative pain.

When opioids such as Oxycodone are necessary for management of moderate to severe pain, on discharge some patients are prescribed small restricted quantities and are counselled by trained health professionals (including collaboration with a clinical pharmacist) regarding the side effects and potential of opioid dependency and addiction.

contact

If you would like further information about our pain management protocols, please contact our hospital team on 08 8130 1100 or at hospital@sportsmed.com.au.