Effect of preoperative information about pain on postoperative pain experience and patient satisfaction following orthopaedic surgery: A randomised controlled trial.

Abstract Background: Preoperative information about pain has been shown to improve postoperative pain perception and reduce postoperative analgesia requirements. However, there is limited data regarding the effect of preoperative counselling in low resource settings. This study aimed at assessing the effect of preoperative information about pain on postoperative pain experience measured as postoperative pain using a verbal numerical rating scale (VNRS) and patient satisfaction with pain management. Methods: A randomised, double blind, controlled trial was done in Mulago National Referral Hospital (MNRH), Kampala. We prospectively enrolled 400 participants aged 18years and above scheduled for elective orthopaedic surgery. The consented patients were randomised to either receive the specific preoperative information about pain or not. The primary end points were postoperative pain score and patient satisfaction. A total of 340 were analysed with 170 in either arm. Secondary analyses where done to determine the factors that were associated with postoperative pain and patient satisfaction.Results: In both arms, the lowest pain score was 0/10 at 0 hours and the highest was 7/10 at 12 hours. A statistically significant difference between the intervention and control arms for the median pain score at 48hours (4/10 vs. 5/10) P-value= 0.029 was seen but none at 0, 12, 24hours. There was no difference in satisfaction with pain management (P value=0.059). Conclusion: Preoperative information about pain improves postoperative pain experience and may negatively impact patients’ satisfaction with pain management due to unmet expectations.Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03056521. Registered 17 February 2017 - Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03056521