[Postoperative analgesic requirements after various operations]

The difference in postoperative analgesic requirements for operations involving 11 sites was assessed in 1100 patients. Pain relief was mainly attained by epidural administration of bupivacaine 0.25% on demand. Postoperative analgesic was required most frequently after thoracotomy, followed by gastrectomy with left diagonal approach, gastrectomy with median approach, operation for colon cancer, cholecystectomy and hysterectomy. After hip operation, periproctal operation, radical mastectomy, appendectomy and herniorrhephies, total analgesic requirement was similar and the minimum amount required. In conclusion, there was a high degree of correlation between the severity of the pain and the site of the operation.