Pain Management of Hallux Valgus Surgery Is Achieved by Cocktail Therapy

BACKGROUND: Hallux valgus is a relatively common forefoot disease in clinical practice. The aim of our study was to assess the role of local cocktail drugs and postoperative pain after hallux valgus surgery. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted to analyze 75 moderate to severe hallux valgus patients from June 1, 2018 to December 1, 2019. All patients were divided into cocktail and control groups according to whether the cocktail therapy was used or not after the operation. The anesthesiologist did not provide analgesic treatment other than nerve block anesthesia and intravenous anesthesia, such as analgesic pumps. The operative region of the cocktail group received a mixture of 10 ml of 0.75% ropivacaine, 10 ml of flurbiprofen axetil injection, and 1 ml of compound betamethasone injection, whereas the control group received nothing in the surgical spot. We recorded patients' VAS scores preoperatively and at 6, 24 hours postoperatively; the length of hospital stay and the number of hospitalization expenses; the scores of Kolcaba comfort level; and the scores of Pittsburgh sleep quality. RESULT: There was no significant difference in age or sex between the two groups. The VAS scores at 6 and 24 hours postoperatively were significantly lower in the cocktail group. The average length of hospital stay was 8.24 days in the control group and 3.73 days in the cocktail group. The average total hospitalization cost of the control group was ¥28285.16, and that of the cocktail group was ¥22366.31. In expenses of total hospitalization costs, the cocktail group was lower than the control group. Kolcaba's comfort various scores and the total score of the cocktail group were higher than the control group. The total score of PSQI and all dimensions in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group. CONCLUSION: We found a significant difference in the results of postoperative pain management except for age, sex, and hospitalization expenses. After hallux valgus surgery, inject cocktail drugs around the first metatarsophalangeal joint did reduce postoperative pain level. Level of Evidence. Level III, case-control study.