The Effects of Sex Hormones on Postoperative Pain in Patients with Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.

Objective: There are many factors that affect postoperative pain. This study determines the effect of preoperative sex hormone levels on postoperative pain levels in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Patients and methods: This study included a total of 89 patients who met the study inclusion criteria. The patients were divided into 3 groups based on their sex and pre and postmenopausal periods: male patients (n = 28), postmenopausal female patients (n = 31), and female patients with normal cycles (n = 30). Normal-cycle women were also regrouped based on their follicular and luteal phases. Data were collected using a descriptive characteristics form, a patient follow-up form, and the Visual Analog Scale.

Results: Venous blood samples taken from the patients before surgery were used to measure their levels of estradiol (EST), testosterone (TES), and progesterone levels. Male patients had lower pain levels than female patients. The male patients' Visual Analog Scale scores were inversely related and correlated strongly with their TES levels ( P < 0.05). However, subgroup analyses suggested that their EST level played a primary role in males and that the EST/TES ratio was determinant in the late postoperative period. In female patients, the EST/progesterone ratio was the most determining factor for the level of pain felt in the postmenopausal period, whereas there was no change in the premenopausal period at different stages of the menstrual cycle.

Conclusions: Sex hormones were found to be effective in predicting postoperative pain severity.