Pain after surgery: Classification and harm of pain

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Ho Quoc Tuan - Anesthesiologist - General Surgery Department - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital.

Pain after surgery is an obsession of patients and is a problem that has been and is always concerned by doctors because this condition significantly affects the psychophysiology as well as the patient's recovery after surgery.

Postoperative pain is a complex pathophysiological response of various etiologies. Pain after surgery often manifests clinically with signs of mental disorders or personality changes of the patient as well as abnormalities of the autonomic nervous system,
The degree of postoperative pain will depend on the nature of the patient. and the extent of the surgery as well as the surgical technique and patient tolerance. Pain after surgery can be divided into 2 categories as follows:
Acute pain: This is pain right after surgery until the 7th day after surgery. Acute postoperative pain has a positive physiological role, because it provides a warning of tissue damage, immobilizes the patient for a faster recovery. Chronic pain: This is pain that lasts more than 3 months after surgery. This racing condition often affects many patients.

Post-operative pain begins to appear depending on the anesthetic method such as anesthesia or sedation, which lasts only 2 - 4 days. However, about 50% of patients cannot tolerate pain. The duration and nature of pain will depend on the type of surgery, the surrounding environment as well as the patient's pain threshold.
However, postoperative pain is one of the main troubles for patients. The harms that post-operative pain causes to the patient are as follows:
Pain causes a number of harms as well as disorders in the organs of the body such as: Respiratory, endocrine and circulatory; Post-operative pain also inhibits the patient's immune system, thereby increasing the inflammatory process and slow healing of scars, post-operative nutritional disorders; Besides, the pain after surgery will prolong the hospital stay, lose the patient's working days; Pain after surgery will hinder the recovery of the patient's health and psychology, making the patient afraid to accept another surgery; At the same time, another painful effect after surgery is that it limits the patient's movement, leading to an increased risk of embolism, affecting the care of the incision and the rehabilitation training. important; Pain after surgery is an obsession of patients and is a problem that has been and is always concerned by doctors because this condition significantly affects the psychophysiology as well as the patient's recovery after surgery.

From the harmful effects of pain after surgery as above, the method of pain relief after surgery is a treatment measure that brings many benefits to the patient, helping the patient to limit the pain; restore balance as well as help improve the quality of treatment. From there, patients can recover early, take care of themselves and avoid the progression of chronic pain after surgery.
However, the choice of postoperative pain management technique depends on the level of pain as well as the location of the pain,... The commonly used methods of post-operative pain relief by doctors are:
Reducing pain Postoperative pain by mouth: This method of pain relief is by taking a drug that is not in the morphine family. It is possible for patients to use paracetamol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or a combination of paracetamol and NSAID,... The use of the drug should be according to the doctor's prescription; Analgesia after surgery by using oral drugs: Using intravenous pain relief methods, mainly using non-morphine analgesics. The dose, route of administration as well as the time of taking the drug and the type of drug should be strictly according to the prescription of the treating doctor. Post-operative analgesia with epidural catheter injection: This method will provide better analgesia than subcutaneous and intravenous administration. The fat-soluble morphine can be combined with some local anesthetics or clonidine, or morphine alone can be used. Similar to the above, the type of drug and dose need to be prescribed by a doctor. Postoperative analgesia by catheterization of the plexus or nerve trunk: This analgesia is applied to the extremity and is often repeated or continuous infusion, the aim is to prolong postoperative analge surgery for the patient; Injecting drugs into the joint to relieve pain after surgery: This method will be performed at the end of shoulder or knee arthroscopy surgery, after the fluid has been drained; Anal medicine to relieve pain: This method is also often indicated for pain relief after surgery, but requires a doctor's prescription about the type of drug and dose.

However, all of the above methods of pain relief have their own advantages and limitations. Therefore, the doctor will have to consider choosing the right post-operative pain relief method for each patient. Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the hospitals that strictly apply safe surgical anesthesia practice standards according to international guidelines. Vinmec has a team of experienced anesthesiologists and nurses, modern equipment such as: nerve detectors, ultrasound machines, Karl Storz's difficult airway control system, comprehensive anesthesia monitoring system GE's AoA (Adequate of Anesthesia) including monitoring of anesthesia, pain and muscle relaxation will provide high quality and safety, helping patients to have adequate anesthesia, not wake up, and do not have residual muscle relaxants after surgery.
Vinmec Health System is also proud to be the first hospital in Vietnam to sign with the World Anesthesiology Association (WFSA) towards the goal of becoming the safest hospital for surgical anesthesia in Southeast Asia.