PURPOSE: To explore patients' experiences of pain treatment in the perioperative period after surgery for pancreatic cancer.

DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive design using semi-structured interviews.

METHODS: This study was a qualitative study based on 12 interviews. Participants were patients that had undergone surgery for pancreatic cancer. The interviews were conducted 1 to 2 days after the epidural was turned off, in a surgical department in Sweden. The interviews were analysed with qualitative content analysis. The Standard for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was used for reporting the qualitative research study.

FINDINGS: The analysis of the transcribed interviews, generated one theme: Maintaining a sense of control in the perioperative phase, and two subthemes: (i) Sense of vulnerability and safety, and (ii) Sense of comfort and discomfort, were found.

CONCLUSIONS: The participants experienced comfort after pancreas surgery if they maintained a sense of control in the perioperative phase and when the epidural pain treatment provided pain relief without any side effects. The transition from epidural pain treatment to oral pain treatment with opioid tablets was experienced individually, from an almost unnoticed transition to the experience of severe pain, nausea, and fatigue. The sense of vulnerability and safety among the participants were affected by nursing care relationship and the environment on the ward.