What Is Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA), And What Options Will I Have For Pain Management After My Prostatectomy?

March 16, 2009 -- Question: What is patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), and what options will I have for pain management after my prostatectomy?

Answer: Patient-controlled analgesia or PCA refers to a device that can deliver medication on demand at a touch of a button. This is usually a pump that is connected to your IV during your hospital stay. There's usually not a lot of pain associated with prostate surgery. For robotic prostatectomy, a PCA is not even used. In this case, we will use non-narcotic medications such as ketorolac to provide relief from discomfort following surgery.