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Post-Operative Instructions:
Pain Management

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You may be prescribed narcotic pain medication for post-operative pain management. Narcotic pain medication should be used for breakthrough pain only.

Ibuprofen (Advil® or Motrin®) is the pain reliever that will provide you the best post-operative pain control. Beginning its use 2 days prior to your surgery greatly reduces the need for narcotic pain medications.

Unless you have been advised against the use of ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) or NSAIDs by your physician, please follow the regimen described below. This regimen is for adult patients and teenagers who take adult dose medications. Please call our office with any questions.

Begin taking 600 mg of ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) 2 days prior to surgery. This is 3 of the 200 mg tablets of ibuprofen sold over the counter at your pharmacy.

You will continue this regimen postoperatively.

Within 1 hour of surgery take 600 mg of Ibuprofen

If having pain 3 hours later, take one of the prescription pain medication tablets.

You may alternate ibuprofen and prescription pain medications every 3 hours, eliminating the prescription medication first, once pain lessens.

Stop both medications once pain-free.

Properly discard leftover narcotic pain medication. Do not keep unused pain medication.