Post-operative pain is one of the most significant causes of anxiety and fear for surgical patients. Historically, post-operative pain has been managed through the administration of oral narcotic agents that tend to only control pain in cycles. The analgesic effect of narcotics will typically peak within an hour of dosing and then gradually wear off over the next several hours…at which time another pill is required. The problem with this method of pain management is that a patient's pain is not consistently controlled. In addition, narcotics are associated with uncomfortable side effects such as: nausea, vomiting, constipation, shortness of breath, and sedation. Other risks of taking narcotics include the potential for dependency and withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation of therapy.
Seeing the need for more consistent and complete post-operative pain control, Sorenson Medical developed the ambIT® pain management system—a better way to control post-operative pain. The system is driven by a very lightweight, portable, electronic pump that delivers a precise amount of pain control directly to the site or region of your surgery. The amount of pain control is initially set by your physician; however, you have the ability to control any breakthrough pain with the simple push of a button.
Your physician can set up the ambIT® system to control your pain in one of two ways (described in more detail on the following pages):
The first method is called surgical site infusion. Using this method, your physician will insert a tiny tube called a catheter into the site of your surgery and program the ambIT® pump to deliver a continuous flow of an anesthetic drug used to control the pain.
The second method is called a regional nerve block. Using this method, your physician will strategically place a catheter at the location of the nerves responsible for pain in the area of your surgery. Your physician will program the ambIT® pump to deliver a continuous flow of an anesthetic drug to block pain.
Both methods are proven and have been used for years to control post-operative pain in the hospital. Using these methods allows for treatment directly at the source of the pain, rather than numbing your whole body with narcotic analgesics. We, at Sorenson Medical, are confident that the ambIT® advantage in pain control will become apparent to you during your recovery. Our goal is to provide you, the patient, with a more comfortable post-operative experience that allows you to get back to life following your surgery.
