How Acute Postoperative Pain Impacts Patient Satisfaction After Lower Limb Fracture Surgery: A 14-Day Follow-Up Study

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Pain Management
• Patient Experience Research

Background:

• Postoperative pain after lower limb fracture surgery is often severe.
• The link between acute pain trajectory and patient satisfaction is not well understood.
• This study explored the relationship between early pain relief and patient satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between early pain relief and patient satisfaction within 14 days post-surgery.
• To identify factors influencing patient satisfaction after lower limb fracture surgery.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, longitudinal observational study of 58 adult patients.
• Pain levels (visual analog scale) and patient satisfaction (Likert scale) assessed at 48 hours and 14 days post-surgery.

Main Results:

• Mean pain scores significantly decreased from 8.88 at 48 hours to 4.28 by day 14 (p<0.001).
• Patient satisfaction increased from 1.7% at 48 hours to 89.7% by day 14.
• Fixation type (internal vs. external) significantly impacted satisfaction (p<0.05), unlike anesthesia or analgesia methods.

Conclusions:

• Pain reduction alone does not solely determine patient satisfaction.
• Fixation type, perioperative communication, and psychological adaptation are key influences.
• Patient education and addressing trauma severity may be more critical than solely focusing on pain scores for improving patient experience.