Anal Disease Research Progress, Post-operative Pain

Purpose: To summarize etiological factors and treatment for postoperative pain in Chinese and Western medicine, looking for the optimal choice of prevention and cure.Methods: The author reviews literatures about postoperative pain in Chinese and Western medicine over the last ten years. Analysis and sorting are necessary.Results: Perianal vessels and nerves are plentiful.Anal tube below the dentate line is dominated by somatic nerves, so it is sensitive to pain. Released pain-producing substances after the surgery, such as H+,K+, prostaglandin, histamine, 5- hydroxylamine and bradykinin, stimulate anal sphincter to contract and spasm, which result in pain. In addition, pain after hemorrhoids and fistula surgery is related to patient's tolerance difference, state of an illness, the type of surgery, operation technique and anesthetize. Now the treatments for pain contain preemptive analgesia, balance analgesia, patient-controlled analgesia, oral administration analgesia drug and so on. In Chinese medicine, the mechanisms of pain were damp invasion of lower energizer or qi-stagnancy and blood stasis. Therefore the treatments focus on cleaning hot and eliminating damp or promoting blood flow and clearing out blood vessels.Steaming and washing with chinese medicine, acupuncture and ear acupoint pressing are commonly used clinically. Besides these methods has brings some effect.Conclusion:Every analgesia has its merits and shortcomings. Usually the single method can't received ideal effect. Therefore we should take overall situation into consideration and apply individual therapy integrated traditional and western medicine, which is the direction of study on postoperative pain.