Why I'm Doing This

Most of us have heard of the pain of open heart surgery.  Maybe you have known someone who has been through it.  Maybe you have been through it yourself.  The pain you're thinking of is the pain experienced after the surgery.  Have you ever considered the pain you would endure if awake during the procedure with no pain management?  The initial incision, breaking of the sternum, prying open of the rib cage.  How would you respond if a doctor suggested that you go through the procedure in this way?  You would think he's crazy!?!

Did you know that until 1985-1987, infant heart surgery was performed like this?  No pain management, only a drug to paralyze the infant making it impossible to move a muscle or cry out in pain.  Some say the reason was because it was thought babies don't feel pain, but I find it impossible to imagine that anyone ever believed that.  http://www.math.missouri.edu/~rich/MGM/blog/chamberlain.html

According to one article I read, the parents of these infants were not made aware that the surgery was performed in this manner.  As a mom, I can't imagine consenting if I did know or if that was my only option in order to save my child's life, what it would be like to experience knowing that your child had to endure such an inhumane procedure.  If a person were to subject someone to this procedure outside of "surgery" it would be considered a heinous crime and that individual would likely spend the rest of their life in prison.  But since it occurred in an operating room, with doctors who the parents trusted to save their child's life, I guess it's okay.

From what I have read, heart surgery is no longer performed in this way.  I pray it isn't.  However, infants still do not fair well when it comes to managing the pain of many procedures.  A day after my son's delivery, my husband and I were still uncertain whether we wanted him to be circumcised.  We asked how the area would be numbed and the doctor told us he doesn't use anything.  "The procedure is so quick, it isn't worth the time to numb the area."  Isn't worth it to who?  This really angers me, hence my blog.  I would like to use this blog to share pain management techniques I come across and hope others will share as well.  Hope some of you find it helpful.  Thanks for reading!

Some interesting resources:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/100/4/626

http://www.ama-cmeonline.com/pain_mgmt/printversion/ama_painmgmt_m6.pdf

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/118/Supplement_2/S78