Low vitamin D levels could make recovery from breast cancer surgery more painful and increase the need for opioids, according to research published in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.
The new findings suggest that breast cancer patients with vitamin D deficiency below 30 nmol/L may benefit from supplementation prior to undergoing a radical mastectomy.
In a study of 184 women undergoing mastectomy, patients with vitamin D deficiency were three times more likely to experience moderate to severe pain during the first 24 hours after surgery, used substantially more of the opioid painkiller tramadol and received slightly more fentanyl during surgery. They also experienced more postoperative nausea.
About the Author: Erin Dearlove
Low vitamin D levels could make recovery from breast cancer surgery more painful and increase the need for opioids, according to research published in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine.
The new findings suggest that breast cancer patients with vitamin D deficiency below 30 nmol/L may benefit from supplementation prior to undergoing a radical mastectomy.
In a study of 184 women undergoing mastectomy, patients with vitamin D deficiency were three times more likely to experience moderate to severe pain during the first 24 hours after surgery, used substantially more of the opioid painkiller tramadol and received slightly more fentanyl during surgery. They also experienced more postoperative nausea.
About the Author: Erin Dearlove
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