title: Chronic postsurgical pain and neuropathic symptoms after abdominal hysterectomy: A silent epidemic.
abstract: Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) is an important clinic problem. It is assessed that prevalence of chronic pain extends to 30% but it is contended that there are various risk factors. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of chronic pain after hysterectomy, risk factors of chronicity, neuropathic features of pain, and sensorial alterations at surgery area.Between years 2012 and 2015, 16 to 65 ages old patients that electively undergone total abdominal hysterectomy bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and passed minimum 3 months after surgery were included to study. Visual analog scale (VAS) and Douleur Neuropathique 4-questionnaire (DN-4) surveys were used to evaluate pain symptoms, algometry device was used for evaluating abdominal pressure threshold and Von Frey Filament was used for sensorial alterations.Ninety-three of 165 eligible patients were included to study. As the groups were compared by demographic data, no difference was obtained (P > 0.05). There was no difference between groups regarding patient and surgery attributes (P > 0.05). Most frequently performed incision type was Pfannenstiel. Neuropathic symptoms were observed in 90 patients (96.8%). Sensorial alterations as hypoesthesia and hyperesthesia were detected around abdominal scar in 18 patients (19.4%) with pinprick test.Neuropathic symptoms should not be ignored in studies evaluating CPSP and a standard methodology should be designed for studies in this topic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Sakarya University Faculty of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology, Sakarya University Training Research Hospital Department of Biostatistics, Sakarya University Faculty of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sakarya University Faculty of Medicine, Sakarya, Republic of Turkey.
authors.forename: Serbülent Gökhan
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Beyaz
authors.forename: Hande
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Özocak
authors.forename: Tolga
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ergönenç
authors.forename: Onur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Palabıyık
authors.forename: Ayça Taş
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Tuna
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Ünal
authors.initials: Ü
authors.lastname: Erkorkmaz
authors.forename: Nermin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akdemir
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires