A Comparative Analysis of Pain Assessment Methods in the Initial Postoperative Phase Following Different Pilonidal...

Area of Science:

• Surgical outcomes
• Pain management
• Medical device technology

Background:

• Pilonidal disease significantly impacts patient quality of life.
• Surgical interventions for pilonidal cysts vary in extent and invasiveness.
• Accurate pain assessment is crucial for evaluating surgical outcomes and patient recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare pain intensity after pilonidal disease surgeries of varying extents.
• To evaluate the utility of pressure algometry and the visual analog scale (VAS) in assessing postoperative pain.
• To explore correlations between pressure algometry and VAS pain measurements.

Main Methods:

• Seventy-eight adult patients with symptomatic pilonidal cysts were enrolled.
• Patients were divided into two groups: pit-picking surgery (n=39) and radical excision (n=39).
• Pain was assessed using VAS and pressure algometry before surgery and on postoperative day one.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in VAS pain scores between the pit-picking and radical excision groups.
• Pressure algometry revealed significantly lower pain tolerance in the pit-picking group on postoperative day one.
• No statistically significant correlation was found between VAS and pressure algometry measurements.

Conclusions:

• VAS pain assessment did not differentiate pain levels between surgical groups in the early postoperative period.
• Pressure algometry indicated higher pain perception in the minimally invasive pit-picking surgery cohort.
• Further research with larger cohorts is recommended to compare pain assessment methods during patient movement.