How to Manage Pain at Home

VIDEO DESCRIPTION

Joint replacement surgeries traditionally mean days in the hospital hooked up to pain meds, but a new pill-free treatment sends patients home the same day...and puts control in their hands.

VIDEO TAGS

How to Manage Pain at Home Epidural catheters Health central Home Pain Catheter Managing Pain at Home managing pains at home Pain medications after surgeryHow to Manage Pain at Home

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Chuck Short: Clear.

Female Speaker: Chuck Short rarely misses his mark, a shoulder injury threatened to throw him off target.

Male Speaker: It's pretty good for one hour, man.

Female Speaker: Chuck originally dislocated the joint during his days as a pole-vaulter, three decades later it was time for total shoulder replacement.

Chuck Short: This is cap, slamming at shoulder.

Female Speaker: Typically the surgery puts patients in a hospital for 3-5 days, but Chuck was on his way home about 2 hours after the operation.

Chuck Short: I was really amazed that he said that I was going to be going home the same day.

Female Speaker: Before surgery Chuck was fitted with the home pain catheter, doctors insert a tiny plastic tube near the nerves at the shoulder. It's connected to a pump that holes a safe amount of Novocaine.

Dr. Randall Malchow: They can dial back the local anesthetic if they're not numb enough, if you are having discomfort they go had and increase the rate on the pump. So it infuses continuous Novaccine, a long acting Novaccine through the pain catheter.

Chuck Short: It's just like going to the dentist and then you are totally numb.

Female Speaker: Patients wear the pump for three days then pull it up themselves and continue pain meds.

Dr. Randall Malchow: We feel that if we can aggressively treat their pain for that first 72 hours or so that the pain diminishes everyday there after.

Female Speaker: Doctor say it reduce the narcotics and cuts hospital bills by as much as $10,000.

Chuck Short: Much, much, much, better they staying in a hospital.

Female Speaker: Chuck even found a way to get back to the range soon.

Male Speaker: Kind of taught myself how to shoot left-handed.

Female Speaker: A sports man who is recovery plan hit the bull's eye. I'm Melissa Madeline, reporting.