I hope you don't mind me responding to this. I have had the PCA pumps. They are pumps kind of like what is used for your IV. It is connected to your IV. It has a button that you push when you experience pain that releases a dosage of pain medicine to you. It's nice not to have to get so many injections. It only allows you so much medicine per hour. IF you push the button too much, it will lock the patient out. It sets off an alarm and the nurse comes in and turns it off until it is safe to give you more. But what works even better is getting an epidural with a PCA pump. My doctor used general anesthetics during the surgery but had already given me an epidural prior to the surgery. They then activated it when I was coming out of surgery. I had no pain at all from the laparotomy. In fact the NG tube was my source of pain. The epidural stayed in my back for about 4 days. The dosage was low enough that I could get up and walk but still numbed the pain. When I have had the other PCA pumps that just go to my IV, I still wake up out of surgery feeling like I have been ripped open by wild animals. So to me the epidural one works much better. I hope this helps. It sure did me!
Lots of hugs, Jenny
>From: olddad66@runestone.net (Helen Dynda)
>Reply-To: adhesions@adhesions.org
>To: Multiple recipients of list ADHESIONS
><adhesions@mail.medispecialty.com>
>Subject: PCA machine......for Kate Murphy
>Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 14:17:54 -0600
>
>Kate, I find your messages filled with so much medical information; and
>I have learned alot from the messages, which you have posted. Do you
>have a medical background?
>
>I would like to know what a PCA machine is and how it is used?
>
>Thanks, Helen
>
>At Wed, 31 Jan 2001, Kate Murphy wrote:
>
>I will keep you in my prayers too, I had 2 laparotomies in 5 months too,
>and the pain from surgery was so bad the last time, I hope this surgery
>finally gets you pain relief.
>
>I've had a lot of abdominal surgery and can attest to the post-surgical
>pain. However, a PCA machine can help immensely. Ask for one before
>surgery so that it will be hooked up and ready to push in the early
>hours when the pain is most difficult.
>
>If you don't get pain control, the amount and frequency of the doses can
>be adjusted.
>
>This last time, my surgeon added another excellent drug to the mix, but
>I have to admit that I was so woozy with pain, drugs, and infection that
>I forgot what it was. They did say that it can only be used for a short
>time because of the danger of side effects. But it sure worked!
>
>Kate
> >
> >--
> >Kate Murphy
> >katemm@mindspring.com
> >
>