INTRODUCTION: Enhanced recovery programmes are established as an essential part of laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Optimal pain management is central to the success of an enhanced recovery programme and is acknowledged to be an important patient reported outcome measure. A variety of analgesia strategies are employed in elective laparoscopic colorectal surgery ranging from patient-controlled analgesia to local anaesthetic wound infiltration catheters. However, there is little evidence regarding the optimal analgesia strategy in this cohort of patients. The LapCoGesic study aimed to explore differences in analgesia strategies employed for patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colorectal surgery and to assess whether this variation in practice has an impact on patient-reported and clinical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study of consecutive patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colorectal resection was undertaken over a two-month period. The primary outcome measure was postoperative pain scores at 24 hours. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 22. RESULTS: A total of 103 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colorectal surgery were included in the study. Thoracic epidural was used in 4 (3.9%) patients, spinal diamorphine in 56 (54.4%) patients and patient-controlled analgesia in 77 (74.8%) patients. The use of thoracic epidural and spinal diamorphine were associated with lower pain scores on day 1 postoperatively (P < 0.05). The use of patient-controlled analgesia was associated with significantly higher postoperative pain scores and pain severity. DISCUSSION: Postoperative pain is managed in a variable manner in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery, which has an impact on patient reported outcomes of pain scores and pain severity.
INTRODUCTION: Enhanced recovery programmes are established as an essential part of laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Optimal pain management is central to the success of an enhanced recovery programme and is acknowledged to be an important patient reported outcome measure. A variety of analgesia strategies are employed in elective laparoscopic colorectal surgery ranging from patient-controlled analgesia to local anaesthetic wound infiltration catheters. However, there is little evidence regarding the optimal analgesia strategy in this cohort of patients. The LapCoGesic study aimed to explore differences in analgesia strategies employed for patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colorectal surgery and to assess whether this variation in practice has an impact on patient-reported and clinical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study of consecutive patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colorectal resection was undertaken over a two-month period. The primary outcome measure was postoperative pain scores at 24 hours. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 22. RESULTS: A total of 103 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colorectal surgery were included in the study. Thoracic epidural was used in 4 (3.9%) patients, spinal diamorphine in 56 (54.4%) patients and patient-controlled analgesia in 77 (74.8%) patients. The use of thoracic epidural and spinal diamorphine were associated with lower pain scores on day 1 postoperatively (P < 0.05). The use of patient-controlled analgesia was associated with significantly higher postoperative pain scores and pain severity. DISCUSSION: Postoperative pain is managed in a variable manner in patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery, which has an impact on patient reported outcomes of pain scores and pain severity.
Authors: J Nygren; J Thacker; F Carli; K C H Fearon; S Norderval; D N Lobo; O Ljungqvist; M Soop; J Ramirez Journal: World J Surg Date: 2013-02 Impact factor: 3.352
Authors: Michael Hughes; Marielle M E Coolsen; Eirik K Aahlin; Ewen M Harrison; Stephen J McNally; C H C Dejong; Kristoffer Lassen; Stephen J Wigmore Journal: J Surg Res Date: 2014-06-23 Impact factor: 2.192
Authors: Tong J Gan; Ashraf S Habib; Timothy E Miller; William White; Jeffrey L Apfelbaum Journal: Curr Med Res Opin Date: 2013-11-15 Impact factor: 2.580
Authors: Riaz Ahmed Agha; Mimi R Borrelli; Martinique Vella-Baldacchino; Rachel Thavayogan; Dennis P Orgill Journal: Int J Surg Date: 2017-09-07 Impact factor: 6.071