Dolor crónico postoperatorio/Postoperative chronic pain

Incidencia de dolor de miembro fantasma después de amputaciones de extremidades inferiores en un hospital terciario en Singapur   Incidence of phantom limb phenomena after lower limb amputations in a Singapore tertiary hospital. Sin EI, Thong SY, Poon KH. Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Singapore Med J. 2013 Feb;54(2):75-81. Abstract INTRODUCTION: Phantom limb sensations (PLS), phantom limb pain (PLP) and stump pain (SP) are well-recognised postamputation phenomena. However, there is a dearth of related epidemiological data in Asian populations. This study was conducted to fill the information gap. METHODS: Telephone interviews were conducted with patients who underwent lower limb amputations at a tertiary hospital in Singapore. Information was obtained on phantom limb characteristics, perioperative pain and functional assessment. RESULTS: A total of 159 patients underwent amputations over a 31-month period. At the time of the interview, 47 patients had died and 66 were contactable, of whom 49 patients were interviewed. Of these, 31 (63%) patients experienced PLS. 22 patients had postoperative pain, with 9 having both PLP and SP, 3 having PLP alone and 10 having SP alone. Among the 12 patients with PLP, at least 6 (50%) experienced constant or daily pain and 7 (58%) scored their pain as moderate-to-severe. Among those with PLP and/or SP (n = 22), 5 were distressed by the pain, 11 were on analgesics and 3 received medical follow-up. 7 (32%) patients reported functional limitations secondary to PLP or SP. Altogether, 28 (57%) patients were wheelchair or bed bound. CONCLUSION: The incidence of PLP was 25% in our cohort. Although this is lower than that reported in other studies, it remains significant, as some patients suffered moderate-to-severe pain. The difference in incidence may be due to differences in the ethnic composition and/or indications for amputation in our group. Follow-up and care could improve the outcomes in these patients. http://www.sma.org.sg/UploadedImg/files/SMJ/5402/5402a3.pdf    Dolor de miembro fantasma: mecanismo y abordajes de manejo       Phantom limb pain: mechanisms and treatment approaches. Subedi B, Grossberg GT. Department of Neurology & Psychiatry, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA. Pain Res Treat. 2011;2011:864605. doi: 10.1155/2011/864605. Epub 2011 Aug 14. Abstract The vast amount of research over the past decades has significantly added to our knowledge of phantom limb pain. Multiple factors including site of amputation or presence of preamputation pain have been found to have a positive correlation with the development of phantom limb pain. The paradigms of proposed mechanisms have shifted over the past years from the psychogenic theory to peripheral and central neural changes involving cortical reorganization. More recently, the role of mirror neurons in the brain has been proposed in the generation of phantom pain. A wide variety of treatment approaches have been employed, but mechanism-based specific treatment guidelines are yet to evolve. Phantom limb pain is considered a neuropathic pain, and most treatment recommendations are based on recommendations for neuropathic pain syndromes. Mirror therapy, a relatively recently proposed therapy for phantom limb pain, has mixed results in randomized controlled trials. Most successful treatment outcomes include multidisciplinary measures. This paper attempts to review and summarize recent research relative to the proposed mechanisms of and treatments for phantom limb pain. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3198614/pdf/PRT2011-864605.pdf       Dolor postquirúrgico crónico: ¿Sigue siendo un tema descuidado?              Chronic postsurgical pain: still a neglected topic? Kissin I, Gelman S. Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. J Pain Res. 2012;5:473-89. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S35145. Abstract BACKGROUND: Surgical injury can frequently lead to chronic pain. Despite the obvious importance of this problem, the first publications on chronic pain after surgery as a general topic appeared only a decade ago. This study tests the hypothesis that chronic postsurgical pain was, and still is, represented insufficiently. METHODS: We analyzed the presentation of this topic in journal articles covered by PubMed and in surgical textbooks. The following signs of insufficient representation in journal articles were used: (1) the lack of journal editorials on chronic pain after surgery, (2) the lack of journal articles with titles clearly indicating that they are devoted to chronic postsurgical pain, and (3) the insufficient representation of chronic postsurgical pain in the top surgical journals. RESULTS: It was demonstrated that insufficient representation of this topic existed in 1981-2000, especially in surgical journals and textbooks. Interest in this topic began to increase, however, mostly regarding one specific surgery: herniorrhaphy. It is important that the change in the attitude toward chronic postsurgical pain spreads to other groups of surgeries. CONCLUSION: Chronic postsurgical pain is still a neglected topic, except for pain after herniorrhaphy. The change in the attitude toward chronic postsurgical pain is the important first step in the approach to this problem. KEYWORDS: chronic pain, neuropathic pain, persistent pain, postoperative pain http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3496527/pdf/jpr-5-473.pdf

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