Acute Abdominal Pain

[Ann Won]

1. My mother (80 years old with congestive heart failure) has had acute abdominal pain after gallbladder surgery in Nov. 1999.  Many diagnoses have been done and doctors couldn't find out the cause.
The pain management doctor said this is Neuroma, while one of my doctors said this could be muscle scar. Pain killer medicine
Ultra sometimes cannot relieve the acute pain which could last
4-6 hours.
2. The pain comes from above the bellybotton one inch to the right.
   a)  Is this Neuroma or Muscle Scar?
       Could this be caused by the surgery?
   b)  I scheduled her to see another GI doctor in May 2002..
       What diagnosis would you recommend?
   c) What action should my mother to take to relieve the
      acute pain when Ultram does not help?
3. Thank you.

[avion]

have you noticed any change in pain with hot and cold compress??

[Ann Won]

The pain is so sharp and the hot electric pad does not help.
Regular pain killing medicines also cannot relieve the pain.
'Ultram' helps most of the time, however, it takes at least 45 minutes to become effective. The blue stuff cream can relieve
about 5 minutes and then is useless.
Do you have patients with similar situation? What caused the acute pain (it seems this is the nerve pain) and how to
relieve it without taking pain killing medicines?

[Ann Won]

The pain is so sharp and the hot electric pad does not help.
Regular pain killing medicines also cannot relieve the pain.
'Ultram' helps most of the time, however, it takes at least 45 minutes to become effective. The blue stuff cream can relieve
about 5 minutes and then is useless.
Do you have patients with similar situation? What caused the acute pain (it seems this is the nerve pain) and how to
relieve it without taking pain killing medicines?