...I'm a former bankhart repair club member, and pain management specialist.

Certainly, narcotic pain meds may serve a purpose in your recovery, but many people don't use pain meds correctly, so I'm gonna explain what your doc didn't (they never do).

Try taking ibuprophen (Advil, etc) 400-800 mg every 6 hours AROUND THE CLOCK - even if you're not hurting.  If that doesn't work, try your percocet as prescribed at the recommended intervals - even if you're not hurting bad.  Combining the percocet with ibuprophen can provide almost *miraculous* results.

One caution:  Both ibuprophen and percocet can cause stomach upset.  This may be relieved somewhat by taking with food and/or milk.

Also, use ice packs every 4-6 hrs for 20 minutes as necessary to help reduce post-op inflammation.

The problem with pain is that most people don't take pain medicine until they start hurting.  Then they pop a pill.  Because the half-life of short-acting pain meds is brief - pain relief is temporary.  By taking pain meds around the clock, a better therapeutic dose level is maintained in the bloodstream - and thus better pain relief.  Don't dicount the use of ibuprophen in combination with a mild narcotic, I have used this technique quite effectively in many terminal cancer patients who had intolerable pain prior to this simple intervention.

* One other thing:  Drink plenty of water and eat high fiber foods.  Pain meds can cause *blockage*.