Patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty: a perioperative pain experience

The aim was to evaluate patient's perioperative pain experience after total hip replacement and patients' satisfaction with pain management.

Total hip arthroplasty is a common surgical procedure intended to reduce pain and return patients to better function. Realistic expectations about total hip arthroplasty is important for optimal postoperative recovery and the information must be adapted to fit the individual patient.

A descriptive design was used comparing patients outcome data. Pitman's test was used for statistical analyses. Adult patients (n = 112) undergoing surgical hip replacement procedures answered a 17-item questionnaire on the fourth postoperative day. The questionnaire included given alternatives and visual analogue scales (0-100 mm) for the pain assessment.

The patients' postoperative pain experience after hip replacement surgery was in average low, 33.1 mm on a 100 mm visual analogue scale. Patient's pain experience was reported to be highest on the first postoperative day for most of the patients. The preoperative pain experience tends to be higher than the postoperative pain experience. Older patients reported less average pain level postoperatively. Satisfaction with pain management was high.

The pain experience tends to be higher preoperatively than postoperatively. Patients who reported a higher pain experience postoperatively reported that their pain experience was significant higher than preoperative expected.

It is important for the postoperative outcome measure that the patients have a realistic expectation of pain experiences after total hip arthroplasty. The nurse is one of the staff members responsible for information to the individual patient.