Pain in foot and ankle surgery: a prospective study

Abstract

Introduction: Pain, a predominant symptom, is associated with the trauma and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The effective prevention and control of postoperative pain may accelerate the functional rehabilitation of patients. Literature is still emerging in research and evaluation of postoperative pain. Objective: To prospectively characterize the pain experienced in the pre and postoperative period for patients undergoing surgical treatment of foot and ankle disorders. Methods: We evaluated prospectively 160 patients who underwent surgical treatment of foot and ankle disorders in the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology of Mater Dei Hospital in the period from September, 2009 and January, 2010, about the painful experience presented by them during the treatment of specific lesions. Pain was measured by the visual analog scale and McGill questionnaire both pre and postoperatively. Results: We evaluated the results of 63 patients, mean age was 38 years-old (18 to 69 years-old), 60% suffered from acute conditions and 40% of chronic diseases. There was no significant difference in pain presented preoperatively in patients with acute or chronic diseases. However, patients with acute conditions experienced more pain in the first postoperative day compared to those with chronic diseases (visual analog scale 2.33x1.55 – pConclusion: Patients with acute conditions experience more pain in the first postoperative day. The standardization of anesthetic and analgesic procedure was effective in controlling pain.