Post-operative pain management using patient-controlled analgesia.

Patient-controlled analgesia is an effective form of postoperative pain management for select lower extremity orthopedic procedures in the in-patient setting. The goal of this article is to present an introduction to the prescription and management of patient-controlled analgesia in the acute, postoperative setting. The surgeon should have a thorough understanding of this intervention as it relates to pain control and overall patient care.