Another way to control pain is with morphine or a local anesthetic administered into the spinal canal, just like the epidural given during the operation. This will control the pain completely, but usually causes bladder malfunction. A catheter , therefore, will be needed to drain the bladder of urine.
These options should be discussed and a basic plan devised before the operation. The main point to remember is that pain can be controlled and that there is no need to suffer. It's also useful to note that taking liberal doses of morphine or other analgesics in the post-operative period does not lead to drug addiction.
