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Dr. Bremner shares if the recovery from a lung transplant is painful.
Dr. Bremner:
Like any operation, unfortunately, we can’t make these things pain-free. These operations are usually done with an epidural catheter, and that’s a little catheter that is placed in your back and it numbs up your chest wall and that catheter stays there for a few days after your surgery.
So usually for a few days after surgery, your pain is extremely well controlled and then we have to phase that epidural out and then put you back on to oral medications once you are eating.
There is some pain associated with it, but I am actually surprised that it’s not a bigger deal than many patients think it is.
Dr. Bremner, M.D., Ph.D.:
Ross M. Bremner, M.D., Ph.D., is surgical director of the Center for Thoracic Disease and chief of thoracic surgery at the Heart & Lung Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center. Dr. Bremner completed his medical school training in South Africa at the University of the Witwatersrand where he graduated magna cum laude and received the Harwood Nash Memorial medal for surgery. He then completed his general surgery training at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, during which time he also completed his Ph.D. Dr. Bremner then went on to complete his cardiothoracic training at USC after which he joined the faculty as assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery and director of the Hastings Thoracic Oncology Laboratory.