Pain after day-care tubal ligation

Postoperative pain, activity level, medication use, and psychological variables after laparoscopic tubal ligation with Falope rings in 1-day surgery in 50 women was investigated. The women completed the McGill Pain Questionnaire, the Modified Functional Assessment Instrument, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Krantz Health Opinion Survey, and the state scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The McGill Pain Questionnaire generated the pain rating index total score (PRIT) and the present pain intensity (PPI). The women repeated pain and activity scales after surgery, before discharge, and daily before bed for 7 days. Pain scores declined over the week. Mean PRIT scores were lower than expected because some women objected to a single word descriptor of pain. 38 women took codeine-containing medication. 42 women took 4-7 days to return to normal activity because of pain and fatigue. Psychological test scores did not correlate with pain or activity scores. The sum of PRIT and PPI scores was a good predictor of return to activity.