Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 14, 2026

A Quantitative Sensory Testing Paradigm to Obtain Measures of Pain Processing in Patients Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery
Published on: January 18, 2018
Preoperative pain measures ineffective in outpatient abdominal surgeries
Robert Wright1, Julia Wright2, Kyler Perry3
1Cascade Hernia Institute, United States.
Background:
The multimodality addition of preoperative gabapentin, acetaminophen, and celecoxib (GAC) and postoperative TENS has been recommended to diminish narcotics. We predict that GAC-TENS implementation will reduce recovery room time, improve pain control, reduce narcotic refills, and demonstrate usefulness of TENS treatment.
Methods:
A prospective study compared a control group of patients not utilizing the GAC-TENS protocol during 2015 to patients using the GAC-TENS protocol during 2016.
Results:
There was less recovery room time in the control group compared to the protocol group. Postoperative day one pain control was similar between the groups. Less refills were noted. TENS unit satisfaction level was rated "very helpful" by 63% of patients.
Conclusion:
The results call into question the efficacy of the American Pain Society recommendations as they increase time in recovery room but do not decrease the quantity of narcotics used in the recovery room, nor do they improve pain satisfaction responses.
Related Concept Videos
Abdominal Aorta
The celiac trunk, a singular artery, divides into the left gastric artery, which...
Pain
Ultrasound I: Abdominal Ultrasonography
Abdominal ultrasonography, commonly known as abdominal ultrasound, is a vital, non-invasive medical imaging technique widely used in healthcare.
Procedure:
This diagnostic tool allows the clinician to visually inspect internal structures within the abdomen, including vital organs such as the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys, and spleen.
The abdominal ultrasound process begins with applying a special gel to the patient's skin over the abdomen. This gel enhances the...
Abdominal Regions and Quadrants
The simpler quadrants approach, which is more commonly used in medicine, subdivides the cavity with one horizontal and one vertical line that intersects at the patient's umbilicus (navel). The four...
Analgesia and Pain Management
Primary Motives: Sleep, Sex, and Pain Avoidance
Sleep is a fundamental physiological drive that fosters a state of restfulness crucial for several bodily functions. It facilitates body restoration, the process by which the body repairs, rejuvenates, and maintains itself during sleep, including memory...

