title: Evaluation of pain following electrocautery tubal ligation and effect of intraoperative fentanyl.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate pain following laparoscopic tubal sterilization (LTS) and the effects of supplemental intraoperative fentanyl.
  
  
  METHODS
  Open evaluation of pain intensity and opioid requirements with double-blind, randomized evaluation of intraoperative fentanyl.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient center of a university-affiliated teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  44 ASA status I patients who underwent LTS by electrocautery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients received either intravenous fentanyl (F) 1 microgram/kg or saline (S) at induction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pain intensity was measured with patient assessments of visual analog scales (VAS) and cumulative opioid requirements. The group that received intraoperative fentanyl received 70.2 +/- 3.7 micrograms at induction. VAS on postanesthesia care unit arrival was 4.9 +/- 0.5 (F) and 5.9 +/- 0.5 (S) (means +/- SEM). VAS after one hour was 2.1 +/- 0.2 in both groups. During that hour, the F group consumed 107.5 +/- 14.7 micrograms and the S group consumed 140.5 +/- 15.7 micrograms fentanyl. The range of fentanyl consumed by each group in the postoperative period was 0 to 250 micrograms. There were no statistically significant differences between the F and S groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pain following LTS by electrocautery is of significant magnitude and may require relatively large doses of opioids for adequate management. Supplemental intraoperative fentanyl 1 microgram/kg did not produce a clinically significant reduction in either pain scores or opioid requirements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Maine Medical Center, Portland, USA.
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Curry
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Darby
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Janssen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004564:Electrocoagulation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D013246:Sterilization, Tubal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D018686:Anesthetics, Intravenous; D005283:Fentanyl