Pain relief pumps worth £12,600 delivered to Epsom
A delivery of seven new pain relief pumps worth £12,600 is helping patients who have undergone major surgery at Epsom Hospital to manage their pain after an operation.
The pumps have been purchased by the critical care, anaesthetics and surgical team as part of an upgrade to the epidural service, as although many people associate epidurals with childbirth, they are used widely after many types of surgery. When you have an epidural infusion, the anaesthetist uses a needle to place a fine plastic tube into the epidural space (which is in your back) and then attaches the tube to one of our epidural pumps to trickle a continuous infusion of pain relief into the space.
Sharon Kitcatt, the Consultant Nurse for the hospital’s Inpatient and Acute Pain Service, said: “The new pumps are a very welcome addition to our hospitals and will be a great benefit to our patients as they recover from major surgery. We have used epidural infusions for some years, particularly after colorectal surgery, to provide what we call ‘block around the clock’ pain relief, as epidurals allow us to block a patient’s pain steadily and without a break.
“Some of patients can feel a lot of pain when they come round from surgery, and it’s our aim to make sure everyone we care for is as comfortable as possible. In addition, many of the patients may have undergone a colorectal operation because they have cancer, so they may be dealing with the emotional challenges associated with a cancer diagnosis as well as the physical toll of an operation. If we can ensure the best possible pain relief post-operatively, it’s one less thing for our patients to worry about.
“I am also delighted to say that the new pumps have got the full thumbs up from our staff at Epsom who are all really pleased with the new equipment.”
Similar pumps have already been purchased for St Helier Hospital and, following staff training, are set to be in use from next month.
