Postoperative pain after clitoral reconstruction in women with female genital mutilation: An evaluation of practices (2021)
This study is a Descriptive research regarding All FGM/C with the following characteristics:
Author(s): Bah M,Abdulcadir J,Tataru C,Caillet M,Hatem-Gantzer G,Maraux B
FGM/C Type(s): All
Health area of focus: Care and analgesic protocols for CR surgery.
Objective: To assess and describe the management of postoperative pain after CR,and the practices amongst specialists in different countries
Study Population: surgeons performing CR in different countries
Findings: Between March and June 2020,49 surgeons were contacted,32 care providers from 14 countries submitted answers to the questionnaire. Analyses were performed on 31 surgeons (one missing data). Most of them declared working in a multidisciplinary team. All the participants reported seeing women and assessing pain several times
At day 7 post CR,97% of the surgeons observed pain amongst their patients,which persisted up to 1 month for half of them. 22% of the participants reported feeling powerless in the management of such pain. The analgesic treatments offered are mainly step II and anti-inflammatory drugs (61%). Screening for neuropathic pain is rare (3%),as is the use of pudendal nerve block,used by 8% of the care providers and only for a small percentage of women.
Conclusion
Pain after CR is frequent,long-lasting,and potentially an obstacle for the women who are willing to undergo clitoral surgery and also their surgeons. Most surgeons from different countries follow analgesic protocols that do not use the full available therapeutic possibilities. Early treatment of neuropathic pain,optimisation of dosing of standard analgesics,addition of opioids,use of acupuncture,and routine intraoperative use of pudendal nerve block might improve the management of pain after CR.
Geographical coverage
Region(s):Western Africa,Western Europe,Southern Europe,Northern Europe,Northern Africa,North America
Country(ies):Germany,Austria,Belgium,Burkina Faso,Canada,Côte d’Ivoire,Egypt,Spain,United States,France,Netherlands,Senegal,Switzerland,Sweden