Pain Intensity and Technique of Pain Management After Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery in a University Hospital

Abstract

Background: Arthroscopic shoulder surgery (ATS) is a minimally invasive procedure used to diagnose and treat shoulder pathologies. Although small incisions were created, the damage to inside tissue, ligaments, and joints surface resulted in considerable postoperative pain. Effective pain management is essential for early rehabilitation, rapid recovery, shortens hospital stay and improves patient satisfaction. This study is aimed to evaluate the pain intensity and efficacy in pain management after various types of ATS in our hospital. Materials and methods: This retrospective descriptive study was conducted using the database in our hospital. After approval by the institutional ethics committee, we extracted data from patients undergoing ATS between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2021, who had aged over 18 years and ASA physical status I-III. Patient demographics, type of surgery, anesthetic and analgesia techniques, postoperative pain scores, and opioid-related side effects were collected. Results: During the study period, there were 101 patients scheduled for ATS. Eighty-nine patients met the inclusion criteria. Most of the patients in this study were males (59.6%), undergoing rotator cuff repair surgery (53.0%) and receiving the technique of general anesthesia (79.0%) for surgery. About half of the patients who arrived at the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) revealed severe pain. The effective technique for immediate pain control was interscalene block (ISB), followed by the local infiltration analgesia technique. Conclusion: ATS surgery can cause significant postoperative pain. The ISB technique provides adequate analgesia and reduces opioid consumption during surgery and in the PACU.