epidural
Epidurals can help, and they use them frequently for childbirth, but there can also be problems down the line in the area that they insert the needle. I am sure you can do a Google search on it and find out what the possible complications might be. I have never been offered one with an abdominal surgery. What I HAVE had is a pain ball, which slowly drips local anesthesia along the incision line -- and that helps a LOT -- but those were for open surgeries, not lap ones with such small incisions so spread out.
Lora
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
I had an epidural with my first child and a spinal block with my second. I did not have any problems at the needle insertion site. I am far from an expert, but I don't think I have seen anyone comment about an epidural for RNY.
for my surgeries i had dilaudid(which by the 3rd surgery im allergic to) which works pretty good. you get a button to push about every 5 min to keep pain at bay.
I would just stick with pain meds. I have 2 epiduarals with my kids and now I have back problems where the needles were inserted. I wouldn't take the risk just to make myself a little more comfortable after surgery. Also if you have an epiduaral you can't feel your feet or legs so it's very hard to get up and move around like you need to do to get the gas worked out of your system sooner. Plus there is always the chance of them messing up the epiduaral and not hitting the right spot, you hear of that happening all the time in births, I know the second one that I had didn't go exactly where it was suppose to and I ended up feeling the whole birth and they had to give me double the meds so I could have my tubes tied.