1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U N E 2 0 1 7
Y
es, it's highly uncommon for a patient to leave an operation
without an opioid prescription in hand, but since I opened my
hernia center, I have prescribed opioids for less than 5% of my
same-day surgery patients.
It's important to keep in mind that inflammation is the source of
most post-operative pain: inflammation from the incision and inflam-
mation from the tissue dissection (the mesh in hernia repair also adds
to the inflamma-
tion). Opioids do not
treat inflammation.
I use non-prescrip-
tion anti-inflammato-
ry medications to
help reduce the need
for opioids after sur-
gery. This includes a
mix of homeopathic
herbal and vitamin
pills that are safe
and effective. The
regimen starts
before surgery to
prep the patient's
body to be low in
inflammation and
pain. Arnica and
bromelain are excel-
lent anti-inflammato-
ry homeopathic regi-
Herbal Post-op Pain Control
Ideas Work
That