Impact of Demographics and Psychological Factors on Three-Day Postoperative Pain Perception Following Hand Surgery

Background: Effective pain management is crucial for both comfort and outcomes, yet predicting and managing this pain is difficult. This study aimed to analyze postoperative pain in patients undergoing hand surgery at the Mayo Clinic Florida, examining how patient characteristics and anxiety affect pain outcomes. Methods: We conducted a single-arm clinical trial at Mayo Clinic Florida, recruiting patients undergoing hand surgery. Preoperative pain and anxiety were assessed using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Postoperatively, patients used an iPhone app to record pain levels and medication use every four hours. Devices were collected three days after surgery. We analyzed the relationship between demographics, PCS, STAI scores, and pain levels using linear and logistic regression models. All statistical tests were two-sided with significance set at p < 0.05, analyzed with R4.2.2. Results: Data were collected from 62 patients (62.9% women, 37.1% men) undergoing hand surgery. Participants were mainly White (90.3%), with 50% being in the middle-aged adult group. Most had low anxiety levels (80.6% STAI-S, 82.3% STAI-T) and low catastrophizing (61.3% PCS). Postoperative pain was low, with median scores between 1.0 and 2.0 over three days. Demographics, anxiety, and catastrophizing were not significant predictors of pain levels. Logistic regression showed time as a significant factor, with pain levels peaking on Day 3. Conclusions: Postoperative pain after hand surgery was generally low, with time being a significant predictor of increased pain. Demographic factors, anxiety, and catastrophizing did not significantly affect pain levels. Pain management should emphasize time-sensitive interventions and ongoing monitoring.