Despite technical advancements in the perioperative management of
cancer surgery,
postoperative pain remains a significant clinical issue. We examined the diagnostic value of the intraoperative perfusion index for predicting
acute postoperative pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic
colorectal cancer surgery. We retrospectively analyzed data for 105 patients who had undergone laparoscopic
colorectal cancer surgery. Patients with
pain scores <7 and ≥7 on a 10-point scale upon arrival in the postoperative
anesthesia care unit (PACU) were categorized into the N and P groups, respectively. The perfusion index value was extracted prior to intubation, at the start and end of surgery, and after extubation. To minimize individual variance in the absolute value of the perfusion index, we calculated the perfusion index change ratio. A total of 98 patients were examined. Among them, 50 (51.0%) and 48 (49.0%) patients reported
pain scores of <7 and ≥7 upon arrival at the PACU, respectively.
Fentanyl consumption during the intraoperative and PACU periods was significantly higher in Group P than in Group N (p < 0.001). The perfusion index change ratios did not significantly differ between the groups. The intraoperative perfusion index change ratios do not correlate with
acute postoperative pain following laparoscopic
colorectal cancer surgery.