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>> Hello. My name is Dr. DelPizzo,
and I'm an anesthesiologist at Hospital for Special Surgery.
As part of your pain management care, your surgeon has recommended
that you receive a nerve block catheter to wear home after surgery.
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A nerve block catheter is a safe and effective way of decreasing pain.
Catheters are often used at hospitals and academic institutions
that use nerve blocks, such as HSS.
Some of the biggest benefits of nerve block catheters are being able to go home
from the hospital sooner and having better pain relief in the days following surgery.
Once you are discharged, you will be receiving follow-up phone calls
from the pain management team to answer any questions and to ensure
that the catheter medicine delivery and your pain management are progressing smoothly.
In this video, we will review: What is a nerve block catheter?
And what are the benefits of a nerve block catheter?
What is a nerve block catheter?
A nerve block catheter is a thin tube inserted under your skin that delivers numbing medicine
around your nerves after surgery.
The medicine generally lasts about two to four days, depending on your type of surgery
and the medicine chosen by your anesthesiologist.
The catheter is connected to tubing that is attached to an infusion pump
and a reservoir of pain medicine.
The catheter is held in place with adhesive and tape.
Before you leave the hospital, you will be given a small carrying case
to transport the infusion pump as you move around.
The infusion pump will only contain local anesthetic.
No opioids will be in the solution.
Nerve block catheters can be placed in several locations
to target different nerves in the body.
They can be placed in the neck for shoulder surgery, below the collarbone
for an arm surgery, in the thigh for knee surgery,
or behind the knee for foot or ankle surgery.
The infusion pump will deliver medicine automatically.
You do not have to do anything to manage the amount
of medicine you're receiving unless directed by your medical care team.
You may be given an option to press a button,
to give an additional dose of pain medicine called a bolus.
After a bolus, the button will lock for a period of time to prevent you
from receiving too much medicine at once.
When the button unlocks, you will be able to give another bolus if needed.
Do not let anyone press the bolus button without your consent.
What are the benefits of a nerve block catheter?
Catheters make your pain more manageable than it would be with oral pain medicine alone,
especially when combined with non-medication methods of pain relief and oral pain medicine.
It is important to remember that nerve block catheters are not intended
to relieve all pain after surgery.
And it is not uncommon to experience discomfort
as the nerve block given during surgery wears off.
Medicine infused through the catheter is intended to provide additional pain relief
without complete numbness of your extremity.
Studies show that nerve block catheters are generally very safe
and that they can provide many benefits, including less pain after surgery,
less opioid use, less likelihood of opioid dependence,
and faster recovery of movement and function.
You will also likely be able to leave the hospital sooner.
Catheter care and removal are also easy and require no medical experience.
In the next video, we will review: How should I take care of my nerve block catheter at home?
How should I take care of my numb arm or leg at home?
And when should I call for help?
If you have any questions about whether a nerve block catheter is right for you,
please talk to your anesthesiologist.
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