Preoperative Intravenous Acetaminophen Improves Recovery Time after Abdominoplasty

Abstract

Introduction: Abdominoplasty can be a major and difficult procedure for patients. They can have prolonged postoperative pain and difficulty moving and eating. These difficulties can increase the time patients are in the postoperative unit, increase costs, and decrease overall patient satisfaction. This retrospective study compared the recovery time for patients who did and patients who did not receive intravenous (IV) acetaminophen before abdominoplasty. Materials and Methods: Twenty-seven patients were randomly selected for the study. The 12 patients chosen as a control group were given a standard pain regimen without IV acetaminophen. Fifteen patients were given the standard pain regimen, including preoperative IV acetaminophen. The total time in the postanesthesia care unit was recorded from entry to the area to the patients' leaving the facility. The Aldrete score was used for discharge criteria, and the time was recorded once the patient scored 10 out of 10 and had good pain control. Results: The average recovery time for the control group was 117 minutes. The average recovery time for the IV. acetaminophen group was 83 minutes for an improvement in discharge time of 34 minutes. The number of patients discharged from the facility within 90 minutes of arriving in the postoperative care unit increased from 33% to 73%. Conclusions: Compared with patients given standard medical therapy, patients in the preoperative IV acetaminophen group improved discharge times, and more patients were discharged within 90 minutes of arriving in the postoperative care unit.