Randomized Controlled Trial of the impact of post-hemorrhoidectomy pain relief checklists on pain outcomes

The purpose of this study was to determine if a patient-completed checklist of prescribed post-hemorrhoidectomy pain medications would improve pain management after surgery. Patients undergoing an open hemorrhoidectomy at Concord Repatriation General Hospital and Macquarie University Hospital were recruited. The mean age of all participants was 56.5 years. The post-operative pain-relief checklist lead to a greater reduction in pain between day 1 and day 14 after an open hemorrhoidectomy compared to standard care but did not significantly reduce mean pain across any individual days or overall. Limitations of the study include lack of blinding of the participants and smaller than expected final sample size.