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Vibration for Pain Reduction in a Plastic Surgery Clinic.
Mitchell George Eichhorn1, Murad Jehad Karadsheh, Johanna Ruth Krebiehl
1Mitchell George Eichhorn, MD, is at Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners/Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids. Murad Jehad Karadsheh, MD, is at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids. Johanna Ruth Krebiehl, MD, is at Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners/Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids. Dawn Marie Ford, BSN, RN, CANS, is at Elite Plastic Surgery, Grand Rapids, MI. Ronald D Ford, MD, is at Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners/Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids.
Vibration effectively reduces pain during plastic surgery procedures. Patients reported significantly less pain with vibration, making it a practical tool for pain management in clinics.
Area of Science:
- Plastic Surgery
- Pain Management
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Routine plastic surgery procedures can cause significant patient discomfort.
- Current pain reduction methods are often impractical or ineffective.
- Vibration offers a safe, inexpensive, and widely applicable pain reduction modality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate vibration as a viable pain reduction strategy in a clinical plastic surgery setting.
- To assess the efficacy of vibration in reducing pain during minor office procedures.
Main Methods:
- A study was conducted with patients undergoing painful procedures (injections, staple/suture removal).
- One half of procedures were performed with vibration, the other half without, within the same patient.
- Pain was rated using the Numeric Rating Scale, supplemented by a questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Patients reported significantly less pain with vibration (average score 1.93) compared to no vibration (average score 3.46).
- Vibration showed the greatest pain reduction during injections.
- Eighty-six percent of patients stated vibration significantly reduced their pain.
Conclusions:
- Vibration is an effective method for reducing pain during minor plastic surgery procedures.
- Its practicality and ease of use make it a valuable addition to the plastic surgery clinic.
- Vibration offers a significant improvement in patient comfort during office-based treatments.
