use of pain medication infusion pump after panniculectomy

I am having a panniculectomy with anchor cut next week. One of the topics I've discussed with my surgeon and my general practitioner was the use of a pain medication infusion pump. This is a catheter or tube that is placed inside the incision and irrigates the internal part of the incision with anesthetic. I have heard about the use of this product on this site. My physicians seem to feel that I don't really need this and that the pain can be controlled with oral pain medication, I was told that this pump will be another thing hanging from my incision in addition to the two drains. I was informed that the catheter or tube for this pump can come out in 4 or 5 days which is the time frame that this pump will infuse the medication. I was told that I can pull this tube out myslef once the medication on the pump is gone.  I would appreciate comments from folks that had a panniculectomy with or with out the pump and how they were able to cope with pain. I had open gall bladder surgey about 15 years ago and the pain was hard the first day but after that it was ok. The panniculectomy incision is much larger than a gall bladder incision but it doen not cut through muscle and been told that the pain is much less than the open gall bladder incision.

Thanks for any feedback you may have.

I had one of these pumps.  Howevver, my doctor said they only last about 48 hours.  I stayed in the hospital 2 days so he took mine out before I even left the Hospital.

wow please tell me and keep me informed of your surgery...I am six years out and light exercise as my arthritis was in remission until lately....I swim....and my Dr. approved the pannus to be removed but the ins. still has yet to approve...but my other ins may cover....so I am planning on having the pannus removed it is the only thing really that I need...the rest of me is fine I think....so tell me more of this surgery if you will please...Leslie

Thanks for your response. Did you have the pump when you went home? Did you pull it out once it was empty? How difficult and painfull was this? Thanks

TT on 10.21.09 and the pain pump really helped me. I am a wuss about pain & mine never got to the extent that I've seen others on this site have stated

Hi Thanks for your response. Was the pump helpfull in terms of addressing your pain? Was it hard when it came out?

I had the On Q pain infusion system following both my bypass surgery and my LBL.  Didn't need it with thighs or arms.  My surgeon said the reason to use it was if you had work done on the muscles it really helps but for procedures that don't involve repair/cutting of the muscles it isn't that big of a deal. 

I think it helped with the LBL and it came out 3 days post surgery.  While it is another thing, it can be helpful.  Up to you to decide.

Just another thing to add - my friend had a breast aug in June.  She had a pain pump too and it was refillable and she had it refilled once.  It had a continous infusion, but she could also administer a bolus of meds when needed as well.  Nice system.

I had the Q pump.  It lasted about 4 days. It fell out by itself catheter and all. The TT was very painful even with the pump.  But that could be from the muscle tightening .

I had my hip to hip panniculectomy with muscle repair on 11/16.  I had morphine injected into my IV on day 1 and then they just gave me Percoset every 4 hours in tablet form.  I could feel when the medicine was wearing off, but it was more of an irritating burn along the incision than a real pain.  They sent me home with Vicodin and I stopped taking it on Thursday (Day 4).  I didn't need a pump.

Best of Luck!

I had one with my LBL.  My pain was well controlled.  Of course I was still verrry sore getting up and down like with any surgery.  It is nothing getting it out.  The tube it teeny tiny.  It is thin as a thread.  Loris