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The trend toward shorter postoperative hospital stays means that the acute recovery phase occurs at home increasingly often; however, few published data address this experience. Investigators at a U.S. teaching hospital assessed pain perception and use of analgesics following hospital discharge for abdominal or vaginal gynecologic surgery (primarily hysterectomy) for benign indications; laparoscopic procedures were excluded. Reported pain scores of ≥4 on a 10-point scale were considered indicative of inadequate pain control. A validated survey instrument was used to assess recovery 1, 2, and 6 weeks after discharge; analgesic use during the first 2 weeks was also evaluated.
Of 127 evaluable women, 80 had vaginal surgery and 47 had abdominal …