2 New Approaches to Lessen Postoperative Pain | Medical News and Health Information

2 New Approaches to Lessen Postoperative Pain | Medical News and Health Information
2 New Approaches to Lessen Postoperative Pain

(Ivanhoe Newswire) –According to two new studies presented at the 2013 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons, new combinations of postoperative pain treatment decreased both pain and the use of narcotic pain relievers.

One pain treatment uses the simple yet nonstandard application of ice packs after major abdominal operations in patients. Emory researchers found that patients who used ice packs had about 50 percent less pain on the first and third days after the operation compared with the no-ice control group.

The other treatment was a prolonged drug delivery method using nanotechnology in animals. Researchers at Houston Methodist Hospital used nanoparticles to create a controlled-release delivery system for the non-opioid numbing medication lidocaine. The use of nanotechnology allowed researchers to extend the drug’s delivery time so that pain relief lasted all seven days of the study.

For more information, go to: http://www.facs.org/clincon2013/press/master.html

SOURCE: American College of Surgeons, October 2013