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Substantial postoperative pain is common among children undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy

Maggie J Tomecka1, Andrey V Bortsov, Natalie R Miller

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7455, USA. mtomecka@aims.unc.edu

Paediatric Anaesthesia
|October 1, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Postoperative pain is common in children after laparoscopic appendectomy, with one in three experiencing significant pain on surgery day. Predictors of this substantial pain remain unclear, necessitating further research.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Pain Management
  • Clinical Outcomes

Background:

  • Laparoscopic appendectomy is a frequent pediatric surgical procedure.
  • The postoperative pain experience in children undergoing this surgery is not well-documented.
  • This study aimed to describe the postoperative pain experienced by pediatric patients after laparoscopic appendectomy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the postoperative pain experience in children following laparoscopic appendectomy.
  • To identify the prevalence of substantial postoperative pain.
  • To explore predictors of substantial pain in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of 186 children (aged 9-17) undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy (2004-2010).
  • Analysis of self-reported pain scores (0-10 numeric rating scale) during hospitalization.
  • Definition of substantial pain as ≥60% of pain ratings being moderate/severe (≥4) within a time period.

Main Results:

  • One in three children experienced substantial postoperative pain on the day of surgery.
  • One in five children continued to experience substantial pain the following day.
  • Common demographic and clinical factors were poor predictors of substantial pain.

Conclusions:

  • Substantial postoperative pain is prevalent in children after laparoscopic appendectomy.
  • Further investigation into pediatric postoperative pain after common surgical procedures is warranted.
  • Improved understanding of pain management strategies is needed for this patient group.
Abstract

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