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Postoperative Pain Blog

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Codeine After Surgery Could Endanger Certain Kids: Study

Posted 11 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, April 11 – Concerns about codeine safety have gained traction in the wake of the postoperative experience of four children who all carried a rare genetic mutation. A new study describes what happened to three of the patients, while a similar case came to light in 2009. In certain very rare genetic cases, the common painkiller codeine can be lethal. The gene mutation causes the body to metabolize codeine into morphine at levels 50 percent to 70 percent higher than normal. Among such patients, an otherwise standard amount of codeine can unpredictably turn into a toxic overdose. After undergoing tonsillectomies for sleep apnea, three children with the gene mutation ultimately died, while the fourth patient barely survived. "Codeine has been around for the better part of a century as a medication, including as a syrup for children," said study lead author Dr. Gideon Koren, a ... Read more

Painkiller Dependence Before Knee Surgery May Slow Recovery

Posted 18 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Nov. 18 – Recovery after knee replacement surgery can be much more difficult if patients are dependent on powerful opioid painkillers before the procedure, a new study shows. Opioids are narcotics such as morphine, codeine and oxycodone. U.S. researchers compared results of 49 knee replacements in opioid-dependent patients against recovery rates for a group of patients not dependent on narcotics. They found that patients who were opioid-dependent before surgery tended to have longer hospital stays, more unexplained pain or stiffness, a higher rate of complications and were more likely to require additional surgery, compared to patients who were not opioid-dependent. The study was published Nov. 2 in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. "We expected to find that the opioid-dependent patients have worse outcomes. But the differences between the two groups of patients were even ... Read more

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Exparel Approved for Post-Surgery Pain

Posted 1 Nov 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Oct. 31 – Exparel (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat post-surgical pain, maker Pacira Pharmaceuticals said Monday. The product combines the long-acting anesthetic bupivacaine with Pacira's DepoFoam delivery technology. A single dose can provide relief for up to 72 hours and reduce the need for opioid painkillers, the drug maker said in a news release. Exparel was evaluated in 21 clinical studies, including more than 1,300 participants. The most common side effects reported included nausea, constipation and vomiting, Pacira said. The company is based in Parsippany, N.J. More information To learn more about pain, visit Medline Plus. Read more

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Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Announces U.S. FDA Approval of Exparel For Postsurgical Pain Management

Posted 31 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

PARSIPPANY, N.J., Oct. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ – Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Exparel (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) 1.3% for administration into the surgical site to produce postsurgical analgesia. In a pivotal hemorrhoidectomy trial of Exparel compared to placebo, where all patients with inadequate pain control received opioids for rescue pain relief, Exparel demonstrated significant reductions in cumulative pain scores with an attendant decrease in opioid consumption for up to 72 hours. "As a non-opioid local analgesic, Exparel represents an evolution in the management of postsurgical pain by providing analgesia for several days with a single intraoperative infiltration," said Dave Stack, president and CEO of Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "This FDA approval is an important milestone for ... Read more

Related support groups: Pain, Postoperative Pain, Bupivacaine

Health Tip: Health Tip: Managing Pain After Surgery

Posted 20 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

-- It isn't necessary to live with constant pain after surgery. Many types of medicines are available to help ease pain and make you feel more comfortable. The American Academy of Family Physicians says the possible benefits of pain management after surgery include: Making you more comfortable, which can help speed recovery and healing. Accelerating your discharge from the hospital. Speeding up your ability to move around. Preventing post-surgical complications, including blood clots and pneumonia. Read more

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Post-Op Pain May Be Due to Immune Reaction: Study

Posted 24 Sep 2010 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, Sept. 24 – Nerve inflammation may be the cause of pain, numbness and weakness that some patients experience after surgery, according to a new study. These problems, called postsurgical neuropathies, are typically believed to be the result of compression or stretching of nerves during surgery. But this new study suggests that, in some patients, neuropathy is the result of the immune system attacking the nerves, leading to inflammation. Immune-suppressing drugs may prove effective in such cases, said the Mayo Clinic researchers. "It is important that a person with postsurgical inflammatory neuropathy receive a diagnosis and treatment quickly. Understanding the role of inflammation in these patients' neuropathy can lead to appropriate immunotherapy and improvement of neurological symptoms and impairments," study senior author and neurologist Dr. P. James Dyck said in a Mayo news ... Read more

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Some People Vulnerable to Persistent Post-Op Pain

Posted 16 Jul 2010 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Oct. 19 – Surgery is supposed to relieve pain from injury or disease, but new research finds that between 5 percent and 10 percent of patients don't find pain relief after an operation, and they can experience chronic pain for many months afterward. In a new study, researchers from Germany and Denmark tried to find out what makes some people more vulnerable to post-op pain than others. They studied 463 adult men who were about to undergo surgery to repair groin hernias and followed them after their operations. After six months, 16 percent of patients who underwent open surgery and 8 percent of patients who had laparoscopic surgery reported pain that affected their daily activities, the researchers found. "Through our analysis, we found that persistent pain could be predicted by pain impairment of daily activities before surgery, high pain response to heat stimulation, high pain ... Read more

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