UCT- Anaesthesia & Perioperative Medicine - Acute Pain Service

UCT- Anaesthesia & Perioperative Medicine – Acute Pain Service

The acute pain team consists of a nurse and two anesthetists, a consultant, and a registrar. We do ward rounds twice a day to see patients in postoperative high-care areas and surgical wards.
The Department operates a 4-BED Post Anaesthetic High Care Unit which can accommodate 4 patients for dedicated pain management such as epidural care. The focus is on postoperative patients using advanced pain management techniques such as epidural, wound, or perineural catheters, and patient-controlled analgesia pumps.

In the long term, we aim to expand our service to more surgical disciplines as well as medical wards. They are happy to receive referrals from any doctor or nurse in the hospital. The Department operates a Post Anaesthetic High Care Unit which can accommodate 4 patients for dedicated pain management such as epidural care.

Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine

Bringing together the professions and disciplines of Acute Pain Service, Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia, Chronic Pain Management Clinic, Critical Care, and Paediatric Anaesthesia.

International recognition for the Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine as an outstanding clinical care, training, and research provider. Acute Pain Service, Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia, Chronic Pain Management Clinic, Critical Care, and Pediatric Anaesthesia are just a few of our divisions.

The department is housed in Groote Schuur Hospital, the University of Cape Town’s primary teaching hospital, and offers a comprehensive range of primary tertiary services, including all major surgical disciplines. The teaching hospitals connected to the Faculty of Health Sciences receive anesthesia services.

Divisions

The Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine includes five Divisions:

Chronic Pain Management Clinic

A group of medical health professionals, including anesthetists, physiotherapists, psychiatrists, and psychologists, work together in the Chronic Pain Management Unit at Groote Schuur Hospital to provide comprehensive chronic pain assessments, multi-modal treatment, and recommendations.

Our mission is to work with patients to help them regain their highest level of usefulness through cost-effective and thorough therapy. It includes a designed outpatient, group-based Chronic Pain Management approach, which is one of its special features. Patients will take an active role in their own care thanks to this initiative. Our treatment strategy will include patient education about diagnosis, treatment, and self-management techniques.

Who are we?

The Centre for Pain Management at Groote Schuur Hospital is all qualified professionals who have a dedicated interest in the treatment of chronic pain.
Staff are all registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa and have extensive knowledge of the management of chronic pain.

Psychiatry
Louise Frenkel

Principal Psychologist

MA Clin. Psych

PAIN Management Unit
Prof Romy Parker

Director of Pain Management Unit

PhD (Psych) MSc (Pain) BSc (Med) (Hons) Ex.Sci (Phys) BSc (Phys)

What do we treat?

The Centre for Pain Management manages various conditions associated with chronic pain.
Some common conditions seen at the Centre for Pain Management are:-

Post-herpetic neuralgia (Shingles)
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
Persistent post-surgical pain
Chronic pelvic pain
Pancreatic pain
Chronic neck pain
Cancer pain
Chronic non-surgical back pain /Failed back surgery pain
Diabetic nerve pain
Multiple sclerosis pain
Phantom pain

What treatment options do we provide?

The treatment options offered by the Centre for Pain Management will vary from patient to patient.
All treatment is tailored to the specific nature of the particular pain disorder experienced by an individual.
A unique pain plan will be drawn up with the patient in the centre.
It will be up to each patient to decide what is suitable for him or her.
The staff of the Centre will not, under any circumstances, coerce any patient to undergo any form of therapy that is not acceptable.

The emphasis once again is on management and not cure.

The following is the range of therapies offered:

Interventional procedures
Medication optimization
Chronic Pain Management Courses
Psychological and Psychiatric support
Patient education
Exercise programs

Health Care Providers: Click here to download the referral form

Diploma in Pain Management

The Department offers a one-year diploma using a blended learning approach with contact sessions and online learning, commencing on January 2024. It is open to all healthcare professionals with a minimum of a 4-year degree.

The program consists of 7 modules:

Introduction to postgraduate studies
Clinical research methods
The multidimensional nature of pain
Neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of nociception and pain
Assessment and measurement of pain and its effects
Interdisciplinary pain management
Pain management in complex conditions

Applications close on 10 December 2023

Click here to download the flyer

For more information please contact Prof Romy Parker (romy.parker@uct.ac.za) or Esmerelda Alexander (esmerelda.alexander@uct.ac.za)

Apply online at uct.ac.za

General Enquiries:
Cheryl Wyngaard
cheryl.wyngaard@uct.ac.za

General Reception
+27 (0) 21 404 5001 / 5003 / 5011
+27 (0) 21 406 6143
+27 (0) 21 406 6233

UCT Medical School – Health Sciences Education (Clinical Skills )

UCT- Anaesthesia & Perioperative Medicine – Acute Pain Service