Deanna J. Attai, MD, breast surgeon, assistant clinical professor of surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, gives advice to nurses on how to manage pain in breast cancer patients.

Attai says nurses should meet with the patients before surgery to get a sense of what their concerns are about post-operative pain and their previous experiences with pain. This information can then be used to create a program for the patient.

After surgery, Attai says, it is important for both physicians and nurses to encourage the patients to communicate their level of pain. While pain is common after surgery, certain types of pain can be more easily managed.

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Dr. Attai on Managing Pain in Breast Cancer Patients

Deanna J. Attai, MD, breast surgeon, assistant clinical professor of surgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, discusses how nurses can help their patients.

Attai says there’s a lot nurses can learn from social media and they can also help their patients become better educated by pointing them online. However, it is important for nurses to make sure their patients are going to reputable sites. Nurses can easily provide a list of reputable websites for their patients to help them get the most accurate information, Attai says. There are also a variety of discussion groups and forums that their patients can participate in.

Attai says both nurses and physicians only have a limited time with their patients in the office. By providing patients with online resources, it becomes an extension to their visit.

Deanna J. Attai, MD

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Dr. Attai on Managing Pain in Breast Cancer Patients

Dr. Attai on How Nurses Can Use Social Media to Help Their Patients