Risk Factors for Moderate to Severe Pain during the First 24 Hours after Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery While Receiving Intravenous Patient-Controlled Analgesia

Objective. To investigate the incidence of and risk factors for moderate to severe pain during the first 24 hours after laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Materials and Methods. This retrospective study included morbidly obese patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass at a single institution between June 2016 and July 2018. Demographic, clinical, operative, and postoperative pain data from the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) and ward were analyzed. Intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) was commenced before PACU discharge. Results. Ninety-seven patients were included. The mean age was 38.60 ± 12.27 years, and the mean BMI was 45.04 ± 8.42 kg/m2, and 69% were female. The incidence of moderate to severe pain was 75%. Moderate to severe pain during the first 24 hours was associated with young age, female sex, postoperative administration of NSAIDs, first pain score greater than 3 on arrival at the PACU, and inadequate pain control at PACU discharge. A multivariate analysis revealed that inadequate pain control at PACU discharge was the only factor independently associated with moderate to severe pain during the first 24 hours postoperatively (). From PACU discharge to the end of postoperative day 3, moderate to severe pain at the end of each 24-hour period was a significant predictor of moderate to severe pain in the subsequent 24-hour period (, , and , respectively). Conclusions. Moderate to severe pain was experienced by 75% of patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery and receiving IV-PCA after PACU discharge. Inadequate pain control at PACU discharge was the only independent risk factor for moderate to severe pain during the first 24 hours postoperatively.