Association Between Cesarean Scar Length and Postoperative Pain

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Early recovery is important for women caring for their newborns. Pfannenstiel incision involves nerve pathways, causing trauma of nerves and other tissues leading to pain. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cesarean section incision length on postoperative pain.METHODS:This was a prospective cohort study conducted at the Obstetrics and Gynecology department of a tertiary hospital from December 2019 to December 2020. We recruited 97 women who underwent cesarean section delivery for the first time with gestational age ≥37 weeks. Patients were requested to report the frequency and severity of pain situated close to or in their Pfannenstiel incision using a visual analog scale at day 1, day 2, and 6 weeks postoperativeRESULTS:The mean scar length was 11.72 ± 1.61 cm. Cesarean scar length correlated positively with the degree of pain on the first day only (β .209,pvalue .04, weak correlation). It also predicted the degree of postoperative pain at day 1 significantly (β .135,pvalue .012, 95% CI of β .03–.24).CONCLUSION:The cesarean scar length significantly correlated with postoperative pain on day 1 after delivery. It has no association with chronic scar-related pain.