Pain Management After Hysterectomy: ON-Q Pump

An important part of your hysterectomy recovery is good pain management. You have several options for pain medications the hospital and at home. At the hospital, you may be given intravenous pain meds, a spinal, or nerve block. When you’re released, your doctor may send you home with prescription pain medications or suggest over-the-counter options. Additionally, your doctor may recommend an ON-Q Pump to help with pain at home.

What is it?

Your doctor will install the ON-Q pump during your hysterectomy and leave it for several days following your surgery. It’s a balloon like pump that delivers a local anesthetic to your surgical site.

How does it work?

This portable pump automatically delivers a steady dose of medication to the surgical site. The anesthetic numbs the area to reduce pain for about 3-5 days. Your doctor will either schedule you to come in to have it removed or tell you how to remove it yourself when the medication runs out.

Why use it?

Having a numbing type of anesthetic administered directly to your incision site can help ease pain and thus reduce your use of narcotics and other prescription pain medications during recovery. If you aren’t using narcotics and pain medications, you also don’t have to deal with any of their side effects. Another plus is that your doctor may let you go home sooner if you are using the ON-Q pump, and it may even shorten your recovery.

This content was written by staff of HysterSisters.com by non-medical professionals based on discussions, resources and input from other patients for the purpose of patient-to-patient support.  Reprinted with permission: Pain Management After Hysterectomy: ON-Q Pump