A recent prospective cross-sectional study published in Scientific Reports journal elucidated that younger age, receiving surgery outside of the usual shifts, chronic pain and the surgical approach itself significantly influenced postoperative pain following obstetrics and gynecological surgery in 2508 patients. People were more prone to perioperative complications (nausea or vomiting) and weakened mobilization while reporting pain scores of five or more.

The study authors undertook this study to explore techniques concerning high pain scores, to assess the consequence of higher pain intensity on patients and to describe patient and intervention associated risk factors for greater pain following gynecological surgery.

The patients under consideration were asked to fill up a confirmed pain questionnaire on the first postoperative day. Using an 11-point numeric rating scale (NRS), the maximal pain intensity was evaluated. Caesarean section and laparoscopic removal of ovarian cysts had the highest pain scores, as shown in Table 1:

Younger age, chronic pain and surgery performed outside the regular day shift were the highest reported factors linked with more pain. Shorter surgery duration, peridural or local analgesia and sedation before the surgery decreased postoperative pain. Significant impairment of routine work and reduced satisfaction was noted by patients with high pain scores (NRS of 5 or more).

Jorge Jiménez Cruz et al. stressed the need for registry-based data to recognize patients, procedures and critical situations in everyday clinical routine, which escalates the possibility for raised post-intervention pain. It further offers a database to evaluate new pain management approaches.