Many pediatric renal transplant recipients have significant discomfort
in the early postoperative period despite opioid administration. Intr
athecal morphine is safe and effective for pain control in children. W
e examined our results with the use of intrathecal morphine for postop
erative analgesia in renal transplant recipients at our institution. T
he morphine was administered while the patients were under general ane
sthesia. Seventeen of 22 patients received excellent pain control and
there were few minor and no major complications. Intrathecal morphine
is beneficial for postoperative analgesia in pediatric renal transplan
t recipients.