Effect of stress on contextual pain sensitivity in the preoperative period- A proof of concept study.

Background And Aims: The importance of non-noxious contextual inputs in the interplay of pain with neurophysiologic and behavioral factors is gaining recognition. Stress of impending surgery can act as a negative context, leading to a decrease in pain threshold in patients. This study was conducted to assess the influence of stress conferred by the imminent and other contextual inputs such as anxiety, socioeconomic status, prior painful experience, and the effect of gender on modulation of pain perception in patients undergoing elective surgery.

Reconstruction in head-and-neck cancers - analysis of the learning curve.

Background: Oral cancers are some of the most common cancers in India. Most patients present with locally advanced disease requiring extensive resection resulting in large defects. Reconstruction of these defects plays a major role in restoring form and function to these patients, as well as enabling the delivery of adjuvant therapy on time.