A pain pump is an intra-articular pain pump that is implanted into the shoulder of a patient during arthroscopic shoulder surgery and its purpose is postoperative pain management. On Q Pain Pumps provide relief to patients by providing a continuous, regulated infusion of local anesthetic directly to the joint or in close proximity to the surgical site for several days. On Q Pumps are widely used in procedures such as ACL repair, shoulder subacromial decompression, and replacements.

The On Q pump has an inner layer of synthetic thermoplastic elastomer which contains the drug, an outer layer made of PVC, and a middle layer made of natural rubber latex. The pumps can hold anywhere from 65 ml to 750 ml of medication. Some of the advantages of using this system is that it allows the patient to forego the use of narcotics for pain relief. On Q Pain Pumps are made by I Flow Corporation, a company located in Lake Forest, California.

Some believe that patients will experience superior pain relief by using the On Q Pain Pump alone while others believe that the best course of action is to combine the On Q pain pump with small amounts of narcotics to help with pain relief.

There are 4 different on Q pump models:

?On Q

?On Q with ONEDEMAND?

?On Q with Select a Flow ?

?On Q with Select a Flow? and ONEDEMAND?

The type of medication used in the pump varies, depending on the physician's choice. However, vascoconstrictors (for example Epinephrine) are not recommended for continuous use.

On Q Pain Pump and Buster Pump Side Effects

A Recent study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine indicates that the pumps may deliver too much medicine to the surgical site, causing a serious side effects known as Postarthroscopic Glenohumeral Chondrolysis (PAGCL). People who suffer from this condition experience a reduction in range of motion, shoulder stiffness, and weakness. The side effects can take several months to appear. PAGCL is very serious, and is permanent. Some cases have resulted in the complete replacement of the shoulder joint.

Hundreds of people across the country have been affected. Lawsuits are pending against the several different companies that manufacture, market or distribute the pain pumps. Plaintiffs are claiming that the manufacturers failed to warn or instruct the medical community about the safety of using the pumps, or that they may cause permanent injury. The United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation has denied a petition to consolidate all of the federal lawsuits. There are over 27 different corporations and providers named as defendants across the country.