Open AccessThe effect of transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation on chronic postoperative pain and long-term quality of life
Author(s) -
Levent Cansever,
Celal Buğra Sezen,
Onur Volkan Yaran,
Salih Duman,
Yunus Seyrek,
Merve Hatipoğlu,
Kadriye Öneş,
Mehmet Ali Bedirhan
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
türk göğüs kalp damar cerrahisi dergisi :/türk göğüs kalp damar cerrahisi dergisi
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.149
H-Index - 10
eISSN - 2149-8156
pISSN - 1301-5680
DOI - 10.5606/tgkdc.dergisi.2021.19800
Subject(s) - medicine , transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation , thoracotomy , quality of life (healthcare) , anesthesia , surgery , chronic pain , stimulation , complication , physical therapy , alternative medicine , nursing , pathology
Background: This study aims to investigate the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on early-stage postoperative pain and long-term quality of life in patients undergoing thoracotomy. Methods: Between January 2019 and September 2019, a total of 100 patients (76 males, 24 females; mean age: 57.9±11.9 years; range, 51 to 79 years) who underwent thoracotomy due to benign or malignant lesions were included. The patients were divided into two groups: 50 patients who received transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (Group 1) and a control group of 50 patients who did not receive transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (Group 2). The Short Form-36 life quality scale was used to evaluate patients' quality of life at one month before and after surgery. Results: The mean length of hospital stay was 4.9±3.1 days in Group 1 and 6.2±4.6 days in Group 2 (p=0.008). There were no statistically significant differences in early-stage postoperative pain scores between the groups (p>0.05). Compared to Group 2, Group 1 had significantly lower pain scores and higher life quality scores pre- and postoperatively (p<0.05). Conclusion: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is an effective method to manage chronic pain in the postoperative period. On the other hand, it does not effectively reduce early-stage postoperative pain or affect complication rates. The prevention of chronic postoperative pain by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation improves long-term quality of life of patients.