Hybrid advanced Ilizarov techniques: analgesia use and patient satisfaction

Patients involved in the initial Western application of the Ilizarov technique experienced frequent pain and could not tolerate the device. With "hybrid advanced" Ilizarov techniques, half-pins and other components are added to minimize these adverse reactions. In this study of advanced techniques, we determined patient satisfaction (with end results), device tolerance, pain levels, and need for analgesia. These techniques used at least 1 half-pin on each ring--except for the distal tibial ring, which had 3 transfixing wires--perpendicular to either another half-pin or a transfixing wire. Eighty-one consecutive patients treated with advanced techniques were prospectively studied until the treatment was completed and the device removed. All patients received intravenous analgesia while hospitalized. Narcotic and non-narcotic analgesia was available to all patients, and analgesia use was measured. In addition, patient satisfaction and pain level were recorded. All patients were satisfied with end results and tolerated the device prescribed by their physician. Mean postoperative hospitalization was 5.1 days. Upon discharge from the hospital, 3 patients (3.7%) with moderate pain used postoperative narcotics for a mean of 6 days (range, 1-11 d), and 41 patients (50.6%) with mild pain used over-the-counter non-narcotic analgesia or prescription antiinflammatory medication for a mean of 4.4 days (range, 1-35 d). The other 37 patients (45.7%) were comfortable and did not require analgesia. In general, patients undergoing hybrid-advanced Ilizarov techniques infrequently needed postoperative analgesia.