For those using Clarion Bariatric Center

I am post-op and just spent 11 days at Clarion North. I was so surprised that what we were prepared for in class (at the Center) didn't happen at the hospital. For instance, they went into detail that we would use the pain pump when we needed it, how to use it, how often, etc. Then I find out here is no pain pump at Clarion - the nurses sounded surprised that the classes told us we'd be on the pumps. How can they be so off-sync with something like that??

Didn't go through Clarian, so I don't know. But it sounds like their educators need to work more closely with the nurses and physicians and find out exactly how things go post operatively for patients so that you get the right info. Sorry things were so off base for you.

I was at St Vincents and I did not have a pain pump, never needed it.  The nurses came right away if I said I needed meds.  They were wonderful.

I had my by-pass at Clarion in Feb. and I had a pain pump. It was called On-que and it was worn around my neck and the wire was just underneath my skin. I pulled it out 3 days after I came home (doctors orders). Sorry there was confusion,Iloved the entire staff they were all great!

The On-Q is different than the pain pump. I had the On-Q, and they told us about that as well. But the pain pump they described would give us a dose of pain meds at our command at the push of a button.

Oh that pain pump. I am sorry I was mixed up. They told us about the pain pump at my meeting but they also spoke about not using it as much because they found that most people either do not use it because they are scared of it, or they usually do not need it,so it was not being used as immediate, absoulute,everyone has to have one thing. I do remember that from my meeting at Clarion. I never felt like I needed one at all. They were giving me pain meds at exact intervals;and I never felt pain bad enough to want a morhine pump. but the big thing is they want you up walking really soon after your surgery.It is unsafe to walk effectivly if you are tired or groggy.Why were you there 11 days ? Is everything o.k.? Again sorry for the confusion.

The day after my surgery I began running a fever. It got very high by the next day, and the doctors suspected I had a leak. When my fever hit 105+ they began packing ice around me and scheduled a second surgery to find the leak. But they didn't find one. So I had some kind of infection that they couldn't find - after all sorts of urine/blood tests and cultures. So they just fought it with antibiotics and as soon as I had a normal temp for 24 hrs they sent me home. It took a while. They never found the reason for the fever.

I had my surgery at Clarian North on 03/25/10 and was told the same thing as the other poster, that they occasionally do the pain pumps but have stopped because people were either abusing them or were afraid of them and having break-thru pain. Strange, that you heard otherwise because we should have been in pre-op class veeeery close together, if not in the same one. I am sorry you had so many complications post-op..that doesn't sound like very much fun at all. Where you in the ICU by chance? just wondering because I work on that unit at Clarian North. :) I hope you are feeling much better now!