Evaluation of pain in patients with venous ulcers after skin grafting.

Aim: Pain was assessed in patients with venous leg ulcers treated with either split-thickness skin grafts or conventional treatment to evaluate to what extent skin grafting reduces pain in this population.

Methods: A controlled prospective clinical trial was conducted from July 2008 to June 2011 in two hospitals in São Paulo, Brazil. Two hundred patients with venous leg ulcers were divided into two treatment groups of 100 patients each: control group (conservative treatment) and surgery group (skin grafting). Patients were assessed at baseline (day 0) and after 30, 90, and 180 days.

Results: The surgery group reported significantly lower pain intensity (VAS pain scores) at postoperative days 30, 90 and 180 days compared with controls (P = 0.0001). The McGill Pain Questionnaire was used to assess the sensory, affective, evaluative, and miscellaneous dimensions of pain in both groups; there were significant differences between groups at the time points 30, 90 and 180 days (P = 0.0001).

Conclusion: The patients with venous leg ulcers treated with split-thickness skin grafts reported significantly lower pain intensity compared with those who received conservative treatment.