The effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on pain after thoracotomy.

The effect of postoperative transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) was evaluated in 24 patients in two randomly selected groups who underwent thoracotomy. The patients in one group received TENS through periincisional electrodes, and the remaining patients were treated with sham stimulator setups. The stimulators remained in place for 48 hours after operation. Subjective pain scores, duration of stay in the recovery room, tolerance to chest physical therapy, complaints of nausea, time to end of mechanical ventilation, and narcotic requirements were evaluated. Patients in the TENS group had significantly lower pain scores during the first 24 hours postoperatively (p = 0.014), shorter recovery room stays (p = 0.013), and better tolerance of chest physical therapy on both day 1 (p = 0.018) and day 2 (p = 0.006). No respiratory complications occurred in either group.