Pain after groin hernia repair.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of the study was to provide a detailed description of postoperative pain after elective day-case open inguinal hernia repair under local anaesthesia.


METHODS
This was a prospective consecutive case series study. After 500 hernia operations in 466 unselected patients aged 18-90 years, pain was scored (none, light, moderate or severe) at rest, while coughing and during mobilization, daily for the first postoperative week and after 4 weeks. Pain scores were added together over the first postoperative week.


RESULTS
On days 1, 6 and 28, 66, 33 and 11 per cent respectively had moderate or severe pain while coughing or mobilizing. Total pain scores were higher while coughing or mobilizing than at rest (P < 0.001). Younger patients had higher total pain scores than older patients while coughing or mobilizing (P0< 0.01), but not at rest. No significant differences were found between types of surgery or hernia.


CONCLUSIONS
Pain remained a problem despite the pre-emptive use of opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and local anaesthesia, irrespective of surgical technique.
Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, H:S Hvidovre University Hospital, Denmark.
T
T
Callesen
K
K
Bech
R
R
Nielsen
J
J
Andersen
P
P
Hesselfeldt
O
O
Roikjaer
H
H
Kehlet
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006552:Hernia, Inguinal / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies