Abstract
TKR is a standard procedure for knee joint falure. Besides surgical technique, the main concerns at the perioperative care are: infection prophylaxis, blood loss management, & pain control. Pain is a normal part during the post-operative recovery stage.
Currently, I apply multimodal pain control cocktails: Parenteral narcotics (as pethidine, tramadol, morphine), oral analgesics (as NSAIDs, Acetaminophen, opioids), PCA (Patient controlled analgesia), LIA (local IA injection anesthetics, Marcaine), and immediate Ice Packing.
How about the usage of transdermal, non-opioid devices as Lidocaine patch. It shows the advantages of: less invasiveness, less ambulation-impeding, easy monitor & control, patient-activated, and absence of opioid-induced complications. Also it can be an adjuvant in the multi-modal anesthesia.
In this Randomized prospective study, we investigate the analgesic effects of various transdermal non-opioid patches in patients after elective TKR
Conclusion
The use of non-opioid transdermal patches is a safe and patient-activated method. Non-opioid transdermal patches show NSD improvement in the postoperative pain control for patients underwent TKA, facilitating fewer narcotics consumption, fewer breakthrough pain, faster recovery in movements and even shorter stay. However, without obvious differences, the routine use of transdermal patches in current pain control protocol should be trade-off.
