Postoperative Pain Management and Patient Satisfaction: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Background: The issue of postoperative pain is a major concern of surgical care that impacts patient recovery, satisfaction, and overall healthcare outcomes. Pain management strategies are crucial to improve clinical outcomes and patient comfort.

Aim: To prospectively analyze the current postoperative pain management practices and examine the level of patient satisfaction after surgical operations.

Methodology: The study was a retrospective observational one carried out during a period of one year in Gouri Devi Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Durgapur. One hundred and fifty patient records were examined. The information on demographic factors, surgical type, pain management techniques, pain scores, and patient satisfaction levels were gathered and analyzed statistically in terms of descriptive and inferential analysis.

Results: Most patients had moderate postoperative pain during the first 24 hours. The most often used method was multimodal analgesia (56%), followed by patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) (24%), and conventional analgesics (20%). The satisfaction with the pain management was high, at around 68 percent. A significant relationship was found between low pain scores and high levels of satisfaction (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Postoperative pain management and especially multimodal pain management has tremendous benefits in regards to patient satisfaction. Individualized pain management and frequent pain evaluation are essential in maximizing the level of postoperative care.

Keywords: Postoperative pain, Patient satisfaction, Analgesia, Retrospective study, Multimodal analgesia