Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for postlaparotomy pain

This study was designed to evaluate the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) postoperative program administered by a physical therapy department. A surgeon, a physical therapist, a recovery room nurse, and unit nurses participated in the program which included preoperative evaluation and patient education, application of sterile electrodes parallel to the incision in the operating room, TENS activation in the recovery room, follow-up visits, and data collection. Seventy-five patients who underwent laparotomy and received TENS at the most comfortable machine settings were compared by chart review to 75 patients who had undergone similar surgical procedures performed by the same surgeon before TENS postoperative pain management had been instituted. The TENS was applied for an average of five days; machine settings of intensity, frequency, and pulse width tended to be midrange. The TENS group took significantly less pain medication, but the length of hospital stay was not significantly different. Patients with TENS rated their pain on 10-point scales as more intense than uncomfortable. This study demonstrated that a well-structured interdisciplinary program of postoperative TENS management can reduce the amount of pain medication taken by patients after laparotomy.