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Postoperative pain in neurosurgery: a pilot study in brain surgery
G De Benedittis1, A Lorenzetti, M Migliore
1Institute of Neurosurgery, University of Milano, Italy.
Neurosurgery
|March 1, 1996
Summary
Postoperative pain after brain surgery is common (60%) and often moderate to severe, affecting younger and female patients most. This highlights a neglected clinical issue needing more attention from surgical teams.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Pain Management
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Acute pain after neurosurgery is not well-characterized.
- Limited data exists on pain incidence, intensity, and duration post-brain operations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the incidence, magnitude, and duration of acute postoperative pain in neurosurgical patients.
- To identify factors associated with pain and patient characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 37 consecutive patients undergoing various brain surgeries.
- Pain assessment included incidence, intensity, duration, and location.
- Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) used for psychological profiling.
Main Results:
- 60% of patients experienced postoperative pain, with two-thirds reporting moderate to severe intensity.
- Pain most frequent within 48 hours but often prolonged; predominantly superficial.
- Subtemporal and suboccipital approaches had higher pain incidence; younger and female patients reported more pain.
- Patients without pain scored higher on the Hypochondriasis scale of the MMPI.
Conclusions:
- Postoperative pain following brain surgery is a significant and underestimated clinical problem.
- Pain characteristics vary by surgical approach, patient demographics, and psychological factors.
- Further attention and improved treatment strategies are needed for neurosurgical pain management.