Advice Needed: Epidural or Morphine pump?
 

Hello everyone, was hoping for your thoughts/advice...I am having my rib-resection surgery in 2 weeks. I need to decide if I will have a morphine pump or an epidural pump. There are advantages/disadvantages to both, however, the epidural helps create more of a pain barrier. There is higher risk with epidural, so it is hard to decide. Does anyone have advice based on their own experience? I was told the epidural will allow me to be more mobile right from the time I wake up after surgery and this will help me do the exercises I will need to start doing by day one, post-op. Morphine will help with pain, but not as much and will make me feel "drugged", but has minimal to no risk. Interested to hear from others. Thank you in advance.

My only experience with epidurals was during labor and delivery. In one case, the epidural went the wrong direction--up my spine--and gave me a horrible migraine for days. Not sure if this is a possibility, but at least you won't be caring for a newborn while recovering from surgery! Best of luck with your decision.

Why would you need to be mobile and doing exercises day one, post-op? You need rest! The epidural seems like unnecessary risk to me. A morphine or fentanyl pump seems more appropriate. With my surgeries I was able to transition from the pump to oral narcotics in only a few hours post-op.

I agree with nospam, you shouldn't be doing stuff so soon after surgery and the pain and soreness sort of protects you from over-doing it. I was able to manage on medication after discharge from the hospital. It was 2 months on narcotics, etc., but was easy to teir down until all I needed was meds for flare-ups.

Hello,

Was told I would be out of bed day after surgery, and will need to do breathing and coughing exercises. Anesthesioligist said the epidural will be better in blocking the pain and the morphine will make me feel very "drugged". He felt I will be able to be more mobile with the epidural. Hard to decide - not sure if there is that much of a difference, and if so, a bit worried I will be able to block the pain for first couple of days (which is probably the worst) and then when I go home, will feel much worse being only on the oral meds. At least the morphine will be closer to the pain I will be feeling when I go home.

Thanks for your input!

I have always had good luck with the pump post op. One time, after really rugged surgery, it wasn't getting the job done and the doctor adjusted the amount I received and that took care of the problem. With my luck, I would get a spinal leak from the epi. Best wishes.

I was on a pump post-surgery and barely used it because the pain was almost non-existent. I must have still been feeling good from the anesthesia because I stopped taking all pain killers before I went home. It was a day or two later that I really started to hurt. I've never heard of anyone using an epidural for this. Please make sure they explain the headache potential, which is quite debilitating.

Hello sealeg
 

It is my understanding that a morphine pump doesn't make you feel drugged at all. I also take this med. Never once have I felt in a medicated state. All the medicine I think goes to treat the pain. Look up all information you can, and keep asking questions. No decision is easy. Hope you get alof of feed back on these protocols. ginnie