What post-surgical options are available for those rare groups of patients that are truly allergic to painkillers?  By true allergy, I do mean anaphylactic shock.  My husband is allergic to all opiates, but not general or local anesthetics.  He is due for outpatient surgery within the month, and I am trying to find a better way than just what the surgeon wants to do: cut him open and send him home with nothing.

Other than the opiates you mentioned, it really depends on the cause and severity of the pain. To the extent pain is caused by swelling and inflamation, the use of cold, NSAIDS such as ibuprofen, or Tylenol are likely to help. Celebrex is a potent NSAID that has been used for post-operative pain, but it is not without side-effects or potential risks. For nerve pain there are other medications such as Lyrica that can be effective. However, sometimes post-operative pain can be mild and it may not be necessary, or it may not be the best option, to use strong medications to treat it. So long as your husband has some recourse availble in case he does experience severe pain, such as going to an ER, that may be a reasonable plan for him, considering his drug allergy issue.