Concierge surgical care · UK
Pain relief after surgery - planned before the first incision.
The difference between a rough recovery and a smooth one is rarely the operation - it is the analgesia plan. Nerve blocks, multimodal drugs, PCA where it helps, and a written taper with a stop date, agreed with the anaesthetist before you ever reach theatre.
Why patients choose us
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The pain plan is agreed before the operation
Every procedure we arrange comes with a written analgesia plan - blocks, multimodal drugs, step-down schedule - settled with the anaesthetist at the pre-operative visit, not improvised on the ward.
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Regional anaesthesia wherever it helps
Nerve blocks and epidurals can make the first, worst days remarkably comfortable and cut opioid needs sharply. We favour units where regional techniques are routine, not exceptional.
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Independent, and free
We are paid by no hospital, so our advice on where your operation - and its aftermath - will be best managed is impartial and costs you nothing.
Indicative pricing
What enhanced post-operative pain relief costs in the UK.
Analgesia is largely bundled into a private operation - these are the typical add-ons, itemised. Send the details and we quote your surgery with the pain plan priced in.
In short
A single-shot nerve block added to your operation: £300–£800, comfort for the first 12–36 hours.
| Procedure | Indicative range | Typical duration | Stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-operative anaesthetic consultation | £150–£300 | 20–30 min | Same visit |
| Single-shot peripheral nerve block (add-on) | £300–£800 | 15–30 min | With surgery |
| Nerve block catheter with local anaesthetic infusion | £600–£1,500 | Ongoing 2–4 days | With surgery |
| Epidural analgesia (major surgery) | £800–£1,800 | Ongoing 2–4 days | With surgery |
| PCA (patient-controlled analgesia) pump | £200–£600 | 24–72 hours | With surgery |
| Post-discharge pain review (clinic or video) | £100–£250 | 15–30 min | Within days |
Prices vary by hospital and by technique - a catheter infusion or epidural involves equipment and daily specialist review that a single-shot block does not. When we quote an operation, the analgesia plan and its costs are itemised alongside, never discovered on the invoice. We come back with firm figures within one working day.
The problem
Planned analgesia, honest opioid use, and nobody sent home to guess.
Post-operative pain goes wrong predictably - plans improvised on the ward, “as required” prescriptions nobody requests in time, and opioids that outstay the wound. We fix all three before your operation.
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The plan precedes the scalpel
Blocks, drugs and step-down are settled at the pre-operative visit - because the worst time to design pain relief is while you are in pain.
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Regular beats as-required
Paracetamol and anti-inflammatories by the clock keep pain from ever building - the cheapest, most neglected trick in surgery.
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Every opioid has a stop date
Short courses, immediate-release only, a written taper - so a week of comfort never drifts into a year of dependence.
The journey
From enquiry to recovery - what happens, in order.
One team from the pre-operative plan through theatre, the first 72 hours and the taper at home.
Phase 1 · Before your operation
The pain plan and prehabilitation
Phase 2 · On the day
Theatre and the first 72 hours
Phase 3 · After
Step-down, taper, review
- 01
Before
You tell us what is going on
A short, confidential form. The operation planned, previous experiences with pain and anaesthetics, current painkillers and any opioid history, and what worries you most.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: the right hospital and anaesthetic team for your procedure, the analgesia options that suit it, and what each adds to the price.
- 03
Before
The pre-operative anaesthetic review
The anaesthetist maps your plan - regional block or not, multimodal drug schedule, PCA if needed - and flags risk factors like existing opioid use or chronic pain.
- 04
Before
Prehabilitation where it pays
Good pain control starts before the incision: expectations set, medication optimised, and for bigger surgery, fitness and sleep worked on deliberately.
- 05
On the day
In theatre: multimodal from the first minute
Local anaesthetic at the wound, nerve blocks or spinal/epidural where suited, and non-opioid drugs layered so opioids are the reserve, not the foundation.
- 06
On the day
The first 72 hours
Regular - not “as required” - paracetamol and anti-inflammatories, scheduled review by the ward and anaesthetic team, and a PCA pump for major surgery so relief is in your hand.
- 07
After
Step-down, home plan and the taper
A written schedule for weaning strong painkillers over days, clear red flags, and follow-up that makes sure short-term opioids stay short-term.
The trajectory that matters: pain trending down from day one, strong opioids finished within days, rarely beyond two weeks.
When it helps
When the pain plan deserves extra attention.
The situations where analgesia planning changes outcomes most, plus the one red flag that means review today.
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Joint replacement and major orthopaedics
Knees and hips hurt early and rehab cannot wait - nerve blocks and local infiltration make day-one physiotherapy possible.
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Abdominal and thoracic surgery
Breathing and coughing must not be painful - epidurals, TAP and paravertebral blocks protect the lungs as much as comfort.
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Day-case surgery
You will be home before the block wears off - which is exactly why the written step-down plan and rescue medication matter.
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Already on opioids or living with chronic pain
Tolerance changes everything. Doses, adjuncts and expectations are recalibrated in advance, ideally with a pain specialist involved.
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A previous bad experience
Uncontrolled pain or sickness after past surgery predicts trouble - and is largely preventable with a different plan this time.
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Children having surgery
Paediatric pain is under-treated when teams guess. Weight-based schedules, blocks placed asleep, and parents taught the home plan.
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High risk of persistent post-surgical pain
Hernia, breast, thoracic and amputation surgery carry known risk of pain that outstays healing - regional techniques and early review reduce it.
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Red flag: pain escalating after day three
Post-operative pain should trend down. Pain rising after day two to three - especially with fever or a changing wound - means review today, not more tablets.
Procedure options
The layers of modern post-operative analgesia.
What each technique involves - from the regular tablets that do the quiet work to blocks, epidurals and the button in your hand.
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Multimodal analgesia
The foundation: paracetamol and an anti-inflammatory taken regularly, with other agents layered on so each drug’s ceiling covers the next one’s gap.
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Local anaesthetic infiltration
The surgeon numbs the wound and surrounding tissue before closing - simple, safe, and the reason the first hours are often the easiest.
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Peripheral nerve blocks
Ultrasound-guided injections that switch off sensation to the operated area for 12–36 hours - the workhorse of modern day-case and orthopaedic comfort.
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Nerve catheters and local infusions
A fine catheter left beside the nerve, or in the wound, drips local anaesthetic for two to four days - block-quality relief that outlasts a single shot.
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Spinal and epidural analgesia
For major abdominal, thoracic and lower-limb surgery - profound relief that lets you breathe, cough and move while the worst days pass.
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PCA - the button in your hand
A locked pump delivers a small opioid dose when you press - no waiting for drug rounds, built-in safety limits, and less total opioid than ward-controlled dosing.
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Opioids, used briefly and deliberately
Strong opioids have a real place for days, not weeks. Modified-release preparations are avoided in acute pain, and every prescription comes with a stop date.
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The non-drug layer
Ice, elevation, splinting, early mobilisation, sleep protection and honest expectation-setting - unglamorous, and repeatedly shown to reduce analgesic needs.
Our vetted UK network
A small panel of anaesthetic teams, we picked them.
Anaesthetists with regional-anaesthesia expertise and hospitals with proper acute pain services, across London and the major UK cities. Introductions are made privately, once we understand your operation.
Selection criteria
How we choose every surgical unit in our network.
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Anaesthetic teams with regional anaesthesia (ultrasound-guided block) expertise as routine
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Acute pain services that round on inpatients daily, with PCA and epidural protocols
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Written, dated step-down plans and opioid stop dates on every discharge
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Direct escalation lines for pain problems after discharge - not just A&E
Safety and recovery
What to expect afterwards - honestly.
Well-managed post-operative pain speeds everything - walking, breathing, healing, going home. Here is what good looks like, and the risks worth knowing.
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Good pain relief is a safety measure, not a luxury
Uncontrolled pain delays walking, feeds clots and pneumonia, and raises the risk of pain becoming persistent. Treating it well is part of surgical safety.
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Anti-inflammatories are not for everyone
Kidney impairment, some heart conditions, ulcers and certain fracture surgeries change the calculus - the plan adapts rather than defaults.
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Opioid side effects are manageable - and dose-related
Nausea, constipation, drowsiness and itching are common and treatable; laxatives are co-prescribed, not an afterthought. Confusion in older patients means the dose, or the drug, changes.
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Block risks are small
Temporary numbness or weakness is expected and protective - falls prevention matters until it wears off. Nerve injury from modern ultrasound-guided blocks is rare, and mostly temporary when it occurs.
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The taper is part of the treatment
Most people should be off strong opioids within days of most operations, and few need any beyond two weeks. Ongoing need at that point is a review trigger, not a repeat prescription.
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Red flags after discharge
Escalating pain after day three, fever with a changing wound, a numb block limb that is also pale or pulseless, breathing slowed by painkillers, or new confusion - same-day contact or A&E.
Reading your discharge pain plan
Your discharge pain plan in four parts. Read the last one first.
Whatever your operation, the pain plan you take home keeps to the same shape.
A quiet reminder
Drug names and dosing intervals blur on discharge day - we translate them for you.
If you would like us to talk through your medication schedule and taper once you are home, just ask.
- 01 Header
The operation and the plan used
What was done, which anaesthetic and regional techniques were used, and how well your pain was controlled in hospital.
- 02 Technique
Your discharge medications
Exactly what you are taking, at what dose and interval - the regular backbone, the rescue medication, and what each is for.
- 03 Findings
The step-down schedule
Which drug reduces first and when, the opioid stop date, and what a normal recovery trajectory should feel like week by week.
- 04 Impression
Red flags and who to call
Read this first: the symptoms that mean same-day review, the direct number to use, and when your wound and pain review is booked.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Post-operative analgesia is normally covered within the surgical package, including blocks and PCA where clinically indicated. We confirm what your policy includes when the operation is quoted.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about pain relief after surgery.
Quick answers on blocks, PCA pumps, how long painkillers last, opioid tolerance and costs.
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How is pain controlled after surgery?
With layers, planned in advance: local anaesthetic at the wound or a nerve block in theatre, regular paracetamol and anti-inflammatories as the backbone, stronger opioids briefly for breakthrough pain, and for major surgery an epidural or a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump. The layering - multimodal analgesia - is what keeps each drug’s dose, and side effects, low.
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What is a nerve block, and does it hurt?
An ultrasound-guided injection of local anaesthetic around the nerves to the surgical area, usually placed while you are anaesthetised or sedated. The area stays numb for 12–36 hours - often the difference between a rough first night and a comfortable one. As it wears off, you start the regular tablets before pain returns, not after.
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What is a PCA pump?
Patient-controlled analgesia: a locked pump connected to your drip with a button in your hand. Pressing it delivers a small, pre-set opioid dose, with a lockout interval so you cannot overdose. Patients using PCA typically report better relief with less total opioid than waiting for ward drug rounds.
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How long will I need painkillers after my operation?
For most day-case and moderate surgery: strong opioids for 0–5 days, with paracetamol and an anti-inflammatory for one to two weeks. Major surgery runs longer, but the direction should always be downwards. Needing strong opioids beyond two weeks is a reason for review - persistent post-surgical pain is far easier to treat early.
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What does enhanced pain relief cost privately in the UK?
Analgesia is largely bundled into a private operation’s package. Typical add-ons: a single-shot nerve block £300–£800, a nerve catheter infusion £600–£1,500, an epidural £800–£1,800, and a PCA pump £200–£600. A pre-operative anaesthetic consultation is £150–£300. We itemise exactly what is included when we quote your surgery.
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I am already on opioids for chronic pain - what happens after surgery?
Tell the team early - it changes the plan, not the operation. Your usual dose is continued, additional relief is built on top (regional techniques become especially valuable), and doses are recalibrated with a pain specialist where needed. What must not happen is your baseline medication being stopped abruptly, or standard doses being assumed to work.
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