Abstract:

The main purpose of surgical treatment of lumbar spine is to relieve the patient’s pain, and to return the daily activity as soon as possible comfortably. In the postoperative period, severe pain due to long term use of paravertebral automatic retractors and inflammatory response occurs. We have to use nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and narcotic analgesics for the pain. Besides the side effects of this treatment, another problem is encountered in financial viable. After soft tissue trauma to reduce pain and edema, ice applications is a well-known method. In our study, we aim to reduce the postoperative pain which depends on prolonged retraction of paravertebral muscles with the cold compression application, and to increase patient satisfaction and to reduce the dose of the drugs. We performed a prospective randomized study on 60 patients underwent the lumbar spinal surgery in our clinic. Duration of surgery and paravertebral muscle retraction, use of narcotic analgesics or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were recorded. Pain levels were measured by VAS scoring. Patients in group 1 (study group) were applied cold compression postoperative 4 times a day for 3 days in case of 20-minute sessions. Cold compression application was performed with 300g standards ice packs which are commercially available. Ice packs were applied locally through the surgical wound dressing covering bilateral paravertebral muscles while the patient is in lateral decubitus position. Patients in group 2 (control group) received only medical treatment. Postoperative VAS 24, 48, 72 time values were recorded. There is no statistically significant difference between the VAS 0 value of the control and study groups (p>0,05). There is a statistically significant difference between the VAS 24, 48, 7 2 values of the control and study groups (p <0.05). Cold compression therapy in the treatment of postope r ative back pain due to prolonged paravertebral muscle retraction is simple, inexpensive, safe and effective method of postoperative pain and narcotic analgesic needs of patients decreases.This method can be tried in different areas of spinal surgery.

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