To think the pain relief should be comparable

[BurnoutGP]

20 years ago I had a caesarian section. I had some paracetamol and was in hospital for 2 nights. Was sent home with a newborn and a 6yr old with no pain relief. I was pretty much a single parent.
Yesterday I had a full hysterectomy through my old section scar. I have a catheter, 2 drips, PCA fentanyl and IV paracetamol. I haven't been allowed out of bed yet and have been asked a number of times who is at home to look after me.
Yes im 20 years older (but otherwise fit and healthy mid 50s). Yes medicine has changed in 20 years. Anyone had a recent section? What pain relief did you have?
Because these are essentially the same surgery and the difference is quite staggering. And this time I have no small children to look after or really anything to do at all.

Not really the same though are they. They've taken your entire womb out!

I’ve had 3 sections and think the pain relief should be more extensive. I only got morphine after the crash section. I had some oromorph once but because I pushed for it. It’s definitely a complete lottery.

howevee I have to disagree the surgeries are the same. A baby is intended to come out the womb. So there’s not as much internal wounds apart from the placenta wound and the entry exit wound on the tummy. For a hysterectomy I presume there’s a lot more internal cutting?
I think that’s a worse surgery

I had an ELCS about 6 years ago. I had morphine while in hospital at my request but went home the next day and just used paracetamol and ibuprofen. I found that was enough for me. I was in much more pain after I had keyhole surgery to remove my gallbladder.

I think I’d argue the hysterctomy has done more internal damage than a c-section. Whilst the section does involve a large and deep cut through muscle and tissue, it essentially leaves you internally intact. A hysterectomy involves removal of much more.
That said, your recovery is unique to you. I’m sure if you asked for them to dial it back they would listen. However, I’m glad they’re offering a range of pain relief and intervention, as I say each woman’s recovery is different and it’s good that they have acknowledged some may be in considerably more pain that you.

Interesting thread - I thought the difference in pain relief was going to be C section vs the snip or something similar as I know there's huge variants between male and female.
I'm mostly glad you've been given adequate pain relief OP - wishing you the best on your recovery x

I've also had keyhole gallbladder surgery and I agree its the gas distention that makes it so painful.
And yes I get this is a more extensive surgery. But I dont need my womb Im already post menopausal.
I think i just feel so sad for that younger me. I remeber the same difficulty moving and sitting up except I had a tiny baby to breast feed and care for.

I remember waking up in agony after my first emergency C section, I was screaming in pain, it was 30 years ago and I can remember exactly how that pain felt. The second and third C sections my pain was better controlled but I wouldn't say completely controlled.

After my hysterectomy (5 years ago), I actually struggled again with pain. It doesn't help that im allergic to codeine, so all they sent me home with (one day post op) was paracetamol.

I understand now! You’re not saying hysterectomy should have less, but a section should have more. With that I completely agree, I think some women’s pain can be dismissed and minimised. I was very lucky to easily recover from my two sections, my next door neighbour was very different. We should be treated as unique, individual cases and listened to as needed.

A hysterectomy involves permanently removing the womb and often the fallopian tubes or ovaries as well. This requires surgical dissection, vessel ligation, and deeper pelvic repair than a Caesarean section. A hysterectomy also has longer recovery period, which suggests for most women it's likely to be more painful.

I haven’t had a c-section. But had a hysterectomy with a very large lateral cut from above my belly button right the way down as my uterus was too large to remove by c-section cut. This is a much more painful way of cutting btw, because the belly is more sensitive higher up.

I imagine the argument therefore has always been the pain felt post c-section is relatively minor. Probably decided by men. And I totally agree with you. Pain relief post c-section sounds woeful.

Morphine after surgery, then Dihydrocodeine for about 5-7 days. Possibly ibuprofen or paracetamol but can’t remember.

Yes im sorry if I wasn't clear. The pain relief after section is shocking

I think this about giving birth in general! I had a horrendous first birth which took over 48 hours. I remember dozing off and a midwife quite meanly telling me it wasn’t time to sleep, my baby needed me. We then really struggled to breastfeed and I remember the first few weeks as actually quite traumatic. If a man went through that, I’m not sure we would expect them to recover immediately! Hope you are ok x

Them using your old scar as an entry point is the only thing the two operations have in common. A baby is an entire entity that is meant to be removable. Your womb is not. It's part of your body. It's not designed to be removeable. It's part of you and meant to stay put and to get it out you've had tubes cut and other tissue damaged. Of course it's different, and way more painful and potentially dangerous from a complications aspect, because it's invasive.
Last year I had womb and ovaries removed (cancer). The operation was done via laproscopy (sp.?) but the exit point for the gubbins was my vagina, just as it was for my babies. That doesn't make that op and their births in any way the same or remotely similar. They were meant to come out one way or another but my reproductive organs should really still be safely stowed away.

Would someone having a c section now be offered ‘better’ pain relief? 20 years ago is a long time.

Wishing you a speedy recovery. I just had the same.

I had dihydrocodeine, paracetamol and ibuprofen post emergency c section recently, and a dose of oramorph which did nothing. I didnt need anymore, yes I had pain but it was manageable

A hysterectomy and a Csection are different, you do have a baby to care for/feed post Csection which does limit the amount of pain relief options and obviously a C section is less extensive. Oramoroh/codeine is generally all thats offered after a lot of surgeries male or female

I have had a few ops & a CS, the difference in what you are offered is crazy. I stayed one night & was sent home with nothing.

I wasn’t offered anything 7 yrs ago, only upon reading on here I realised it’s not the same for all.

I hear you, OP. I had an emergency c section the same week as a good friend had fibroids removed. She got decent pain relief and 6 weeks’ rest. I got paracetamol and a newborn who didn’t sleep for more than 90 mins at a time, and told to get on with it!

I had voltarol after a section, than hod . The oral version. I know they don’t use it these days. I think paracetamol only would be hideous. I’m so sorry.

The biggest difference is the 20 year gap we know a lot more about multi-modal pain relief the recovery benefits of proper pain control than we did 20 years ago.
But removing a uterus carries much greater risk of post operative bleeding than a c-section.
Also c-section post op pain relief needs to be compatible with breast feeding quite a lot of medications pass in the breast milk to the baby. Post c- section they have two patients to consider as opposed to 1 post hysterectomy.
You are 20 years older too that will also change your recovery time and the risk of muscle loss post surgery due to inactivity.

I had morphine after my two sections and another pain relief but I was shamed for it the second time around by the midwife who felt I didn’t “need” it and for not being able to walk further than the toilet less than 24 hours after. It is ridiculous; if men gave birth it would be a very different system

Maybe you were given less analgesia after a section because you'd be feeding a baby. Paracetamol is pretty much the only analgesic you can take long term while breastfeeding or pregnant.

I had a c-section 18yrs ago and at that time prescribed ibuprofen and paracetamol, discharged 2 days later. Even that felt brutal.

Morphine (post birth) is deemed safe for short term use.