Background: Reduced postoperative pain is considered one of the benefits of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LHR). We investigated the need for intravenous flurbiprofen axetil (FA) before emergence from anesthesia in patients who had undergone LHR.
Methods: Forty adult patients who were prepared for LHR were randomly divided into the FA group (FA 1 mg x kg(-1) administered at the end of surgery, n = 20) and the control group (no FA administration, n = 20). Postoperative pain was evaluated by the Prince Henry Pain Score (PHPS) as well as by the frequency of on-demand use of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Results: The PHPS on arrival at the ward was significantly lower in the FA group than the control group. Additionally, none of the patients of the FA group required NSAIDs in the first two hours of postoperative period, compared with 6 patients (30%) of the control group. However, at 4 hours postoperatively, none of the patients of both groups suffered pain at rest and the PHPS was similar in the two groups.
Conclusions: Although postoperative pain after LHR is mild and disappears rapidly, FA administration before emergence from anesthesia is necessary for management of pain during the immediate postoperative period.