Pain Management After Surgery

Following outpatient orthopaedic surgery, adequate pain control is imperative both for patient satisfaction and for improved recovery and rehabilitation. Opioids are frequently utilized for postoperative pain control, however they can be addictive and are known to have many deleterious effects. Recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of a wide variety of multi-modal postoperative pain regimens in providing adequate pain control while also decreasing opioid usage. However, the most effective multi-modal pain regimen for postoperative pain control remains unclear. This prospective, randomized study intends to investigate the efficacy of a multi-modal postoperative pain regimen compared to a traditional opioid-only pain regimen following elective outpatient orthopaedic surgery of the hand, wrist, foot, or ankle.