title: A randomized controlled trial of abdominal binders for the management of postoperative pain and distress after cesarean delivery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether abdominal binders effectively control pain and distress after cesarean delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted between April and November, 2014, among women undergoing cesarean delivery (low-transverse skin incision) at two US hospitals. Participants were randomly allocated to either the abdominal binder or control groups on entry to the operating suite. Masking was not possible. Patients in the abdominal binder group were fitted with a device before leaving the operating room and were encouraged to wear it constantly, although breaks were allowed. The primary outcomes were postoperative distress (measured by the Symptom Distress Scale [SDS]) and pain (measured by a visual analog scale [VAS]). Individuals who asked to be removed from the study within 6hours of surgery were excluded from analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analyses included 87 patients in the abdominal binder group and 68 in the control group. The abdominal binder and control groups did not differ in postoperative day 1 VAS (3.1±2.1 vs 3.4±2.3; P=0.33), postoperative day 2 VAS (3.0±1.9 vs 3.8±2.2; P=0.16), postoperative day 1 SDS (21.5±5.4 vs 21.8±5.1; P=0.87), and postoperative day 2 SDS (19.4±4.8 vs 19.9±5.0; P=0.53).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postoperative pain and distress scores after cesarean delivery were not affected by abdominal binders. ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT02129894.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St Luke's University Hospital, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Christin M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Gillier
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St Luke's University Hospital, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Sparks
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St Luke's University Hospital, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kriner
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St Luke's University Hospital, Bethlehem, PA, USA. Electronic address: anastij@slhn.org.
authors.forename: James N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Anasti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section; D058128:Compression Bandages; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Abdominal binder; Cesarean delivery; Pain management