Forefoot postoperative continuous pain control by nonelectronic device.

Abstract

The authors present a system against postoperative pain in forefoot operations, which functions by continuous infusion of anesthetic in the malleolar internal space. The system (Single-Day Baxter Infusor) was utilized in 145 patients who had undergone forefoot surgery. The effectiveness of the method was evaluated by means of a numeric scale (0 to 5) reflecting pain level. The method was effective in controlling postoperative pain in 110 cases (score 0 to 1); 25 cases (score 2) reported pain in the dorsal hallux, in the deep peroneal area, whereas in 10 cases (score 4 to 5 on the scale), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs had to be administered.