Neurospine.  2018 Dec;15(4):348-352. 10.14245/ns.1836070.035.

Cryo-Compression Therapy After Elective Spinal Surgery for Pain Management: A Cross-Sectional Study With Historical Control

• Nabıyev V
• Ayhan S
• Adhıkarı P
• Cetın E
• Palaoglu S
• Acaroglu R

• KMID: 2437890
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14245/ns.1836070.035

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Postoperative dynamic cryo-compression (DC) therapy has been proposed as a method of reducing pain and the inflammatory response in the early postoperative period after orthopedic joint reconstruction surgery. Our aim was to analyze the analgesic efficacy of DC therapy after adult lumbar spinal surgery.
METHODS
DC was applied for 30 minutes every 6 hours after surgery. Pain was measured by a visual analogue scale (VAS) in the preoperative period, immediately after surgery, and every 6 hours postoperatively for the first 72 hours of the hospital stay. Patients' pain medication requirements were monitored using the patient-controlled analgesia system and patient charts. Twenty patients who received DC therapy were compared to 20 historical controls who were matched for demographic and surgical variables.
RESULTS
In the postanesthesia care unit, the mean VAS back pain score was 5.87 ± 0.9 in the DC group and 6.95±1.0 (p=0.001) in the control group. The corresponding mean VAS scores for the DC vs. control groups were 3.8±1.1 vs. 5.4±0.7 (p < 0.001) at 6 hours postoperatively, and 2.7±0.7 vs. 6.25±0.9 (p < 0.001) at discharge, respectively. The cumulative mean analgesic consumption of paracetamol, tenoxicam, and tramadol in the DC group vs. control group was 3,733.3±562.7 mg vs. 4,633.3±693.5 mg (p < 0.005), 53.3±19.5 mg vs. 85.3±33.4 mg (p < 0.005), and 63.3±83.4 mg vs. 393.3±79.9 mg (p < 0.0001), respectively.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study demonstrated a positive association between the use of DC therapy and accelerated improvement in patients during early rehabilitation after adult spine surgery compared to patients who were treated with painkillers only.

Keyword

Analgesia; Cryotherapy; Posterior spinal fusion; Pneumatic compression; Postoperative pain

MeSH Terms

Acetaminophen
Adult
Analgesia
Analgesia, Patient-Controlled
Back Pain
Cross-Sectional Studies*
Cryotherapy
Humans
Joints
Length of Stay
Methods
Orthopedics
Pain Management*
Pain, Postoperative
Postoperative Period
Preoperative Period
Rehabilitation
Spine
Tramadol
Acetaminophen
Tramadol