At UCSD Medical Center, we understand and respect that one of the primary concerns of patients considering joint replacement surgery is pain.
Major Advances Improve Pain Management
Major advances in pain management techniques have allowed our joint reconstruction specialists to partner with anesthesiology pain management specialists to minimize the discomfort patients experience after surgery.
These improvements have resulted in decreased post-operative pain and need for narcotic pain medications. Patients experience fewer side effects from pain medications, facilitiating a more rapid rehabilitation and return to function.
Our multimodal approach to pain management includes:
- Regional Anesthesia (Spinal or Epidural Anesthetics)
- Peripheral Nerve Blocks and Peripheral Nerve Catheters
- Long-acting Local Anesthetics
- Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medication (such as Celebrex)
- Long-acting Narcotic Pain Medications
- Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA’s)
For more information about the treatment of pain, visit UCSD's Center for Pain & Palliative Medicine.