Treatment of postoperative pain in oral and maxillofacial surgery

We questioned 75 patients after inpatient oral and maxillofacial operations to find out how satisfied they were,vith the extent to which their pain ha d been controlled. Seventy (93%) had had postoperative pain. In 33 (47%), i t was moderate and in 24 (34%), severe. Analgesic drugs were not given imme diately to 6 of the 24 patients who requested them. Seventeen (24%) reporte d that the pain was worse than they had expected, but 74 of the 75 patients were satisfied with the pain control they received. We conclude that patie nts' expectations of pain control are low and that questions about satisfac tion should not be used in isolation. (C) 2000 The British Association of O ral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.