A comparison of pulmonary function tests for postthoracotomy pain using cryoanalgesia and transcutaneous nerve stimulation.

The beneficial effects of transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TNS) and cryoanalgesia for post-thoracotomy pain were compared against each other and against a control group through pulmonary function testing in the immediate and delayed postoperative period. Patients receiving cryoanalgesia did not perform well in the first 24 hours after operation. However, by the fifth postoperative day, they did as well as or even better than the TNS patients. Both cryoanalgesia and TNS were significantly effective in the management of postoperative pain as compared with controls.