Preoperative Predictors for Acute Pain After Photorefractive Keratectomy

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pain Management
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) can cause significant postoperative pain.
• Identifying predictors of severe pain is crucial for effective pain management.
• Preoperative factors may influence the intensity of early postoperative pain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify preoperative predictors of severe early postoperative pain following PRK.
• To explore the utility of screening methods for targeted pain therapies.
• To assess the relationship between preoperative psychological and physiological measures and PRK pain.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory study involving patients undergoing PRK.
• Preoperative assessments included sociodemographic data, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, corneal sensitivity, and conditioned pain modulation (CPM) tests.
• Postoperative pain was measured using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ).

Main Results:

• Preoperative corneal sensitivity positively correlated with VAS and SF-MPQ pain scores (P < 0.05).
• No significant correlations were found between Pain Catastrophizing Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, or CPM scores and postoperative pain (P > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Abnormal preoperative corneal sensitivity may serve as a protective marker against severe pain after PRK.
• Psychological factors and CPM do not appear to be reliable predictors of postoperative pain in this cohort.
• Findings suggest corneal sensitivity is a key factor in predicting PRK-related pain.