A patient recovering from a laminectomy reports a pain level of 10 on a scale of 0 to 10. The patient says something must be wrong because the pain is worse than it was before the surgery. How should the nurse respond?

Question

1. "The discomfort is not pain but rather muscle spasms."
2. "I'm sure you will need more surgery, so I will be back to get you."
3. "The surgery caused edema of the nerve roots, which increases the amount of pain."
4. "Pain is an indication that something is wrong. I will contact the surgeon."

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 3
The patient recovering from a laminectomy has experienced compression of the nerve root over time, resulting in edema and inflammation. Because of surgery-induced edema, the patient is likely to experience either the same pain or perhaps more severe pain in the period immediately after surgery. Pain is whatever the patient says it is. Muscle spasms also cause pain. The patient does not need more surgery, and the surgeon does not need to be contacted.