Regional Anesthesia & Pain Management (RAPM)

Patient Information

Understanding Pain
Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. There is no test for pain. Only you can tell how much pain you have. After an operation, you may feel discomfort and pain ranging from mild to severe.

Why is it important to have good pain control?
Uncontrolled pain can cause suffering, fear and anxiety. Having less pain means less stress on your body. Your body will heal better. With less pain you can deep breathe, cough and move more easily. This lowers the chances of complications after your operation.

Who do I talk to about my pain?
You can to anyone on your health care team. We all work together to help you control your pain. We also have a service called the Acute Pain Service that is available 24 hours a day to help your doctors and nurses manage your pain.

How do I tell you about my pain?
You will be asked to rate your pain on a scale from 0 to 10:

You can also use words like “mild,” “moderate” or “severe” to describe your pain.

How much pain will I have after my surgery?
Before you come to the hospital you should ask your family doctor, surgeon and other health care providers about pain. If you come to the hospital for a pre-operative consultation with anesthesia, nursing and physiotherapy you can ask about pain then too. The more you understand what to expect after your operation the easier you will find it to manage!

How much pain relief can I expect?
Everyone is different. Your health care team will help you to develop a goal for your pain relief. Together, we will make sure that you have the least possible pain with minimal side effects from the pain medicine. Remember that you are the expert on how well your pain is being managed.

What do I do if my pain is not well controlled after my surgery?
Ask your nurse or doctor to contact the Acute Pain Service. We are on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

How long will I have pain for after my surgery?
This is a good question to ask the surgical team. It usually takes at least two to six weeks to recover from an operation. You can also expect soreness as you increase activity. You should have pain medicine prescribed for you when you leave the hospital.

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