Optimal Pain Management After Cesarean Delivery

Caitlin Dooley Sutton1, Brendan Carvalho1

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.

Anesthesiology Clinics
|January 30, 2017
PubMed

Cesarean delivery rates are increasing worldwide, and effective postoperative pain management is a key priority of women undergoing cesarean delivery. Inadequate pain management in the acute postoperative period is associated with persistent pain, greater opioid use, delayed functional recovery, and increased postpartum depression. In addition to pain relief, optimal management of patients after cesarean delivery should address the goals of unrestricted maternal mobility, minimal maternal and neonatal side effects, rapid recovery to baseline functionality, and early discharge home. Multimodal analgesia should include neuraxial morphine in conjunction with nonopioid adjuncts, with additional oral or intravenous opioids reserved for severe breakthrough pain.

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