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Post Operative pain following Ocular Surgery: Relevant Preventitive Management in the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu
Abstract
Objective: To determine the optimal time and mode of administration of postoperative analgesics following ocular surgery.
Background: Most elective ocular surgery are said to be accompanied by onlymild pain. This knowledge, however, is not available to the prospective patientand this usually results in undue fear of eye surgery. This often results in failureto keep surgery appointments. Post operative pain relief should therefore beproperly targeted and analgesic agents timely administered for greatest effect.
Method: A prospective study of the post operative experience of twenty patientswho had different types of ocular surgery.
Results: The onset of post operative pain was influenced by the form ofanaesthesia (local or general). When surgery was done under generalanaesthesia, onset of pain was delayed for up to 19 hours whereas in casesdone under local anaesthesia onset of pain was within 2-3 hours. The severity ofpostoperative pain depended on the pain threshold of the patient and type ofanaesthesia.
Conclusion: Post operative pain management should start from the timeinformed consent is being sought. A careful explanation of the nature andintensity of pain expected and what could be done to alleviate it should be madeavailable to the patient preoperatively. In the absence of Patient ControlledAnalgesia (PCA) machines, forms of pre-emptive analgesia not dependent onhigh technology should be considered. The advantages of preoperative use ofNon-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) should be explored.
Key Words: Post-operative pain, analgesia in ophthalmology
Jnl of Medical Investigation and Practice Vol.1 2000: 41-44
Background: Most elective ocular surgery are said to be accompanied by onlymild pain. This knowledge, however, is not available to the prospective patientand this usually results in undue fear of eye surgery. This often results in failureto keep surgery appointments. Post operative pain relief should therefore beproperly targeted and analgesic agents timely administered for greatest effect.
Method: A prospective study of the post operative experience of twenty patientswho had different types of ocular surgery.
Results: The onset of post operative pain was influenced by the form ofanaesthesia (local or general). When surgery was done under generalanaesthesia, onset of pain was delayed for up to 19 hours whereas in casesdone under local anaesthesia onset of pain was within 2-3 hours. The severity ofpostoperative pain depended on the pain threshold of the patient and type ofanaesthesia.
Conclusion: Post operative pain management should start from the timeinformed consent is being sought. A careful explanation of the nature andintensity of pain expected and what could be done to alleviate it should be madeavailable to the patient preoperatively. In the absence of Patient ControlledAnalgesia (PCA) machines, forms of pre-emptive analgesia not dependent onhigh technology should be considered. The advantages of preoperative use ofNon-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) should be explored.
Key Words: Post-operative pain, analgesia in ophthalmology
Jnl of Medical Investigation and Practice Vol.1 2000: 41-44
