POST ESOPHAGEAL VARICEAL BAND LIGATION PAIN, ANOTHER INSULT TO INJURY.

Objective: To measure and characterize pain in post esophageal variceal band ligation patients. Study Design: Cross sectional observational study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out in Combined Military Hospital Kharian which is a tertiary care hospital, from Dec 2014 to Aug 2015. Material and Methods: All patients of esophageal varices due to any underlying pathology requiring esophageal variceal band ligation (EVBL) were included in this study. Patients unwilling for EVBL were excluded from the study. Their EVBL was done with the help of Upper Gastrointestinal Pentax High definition 90i series Video Endoscope and subsequently they were inquired about the details of pain till next session of banding. Results: Out of 86 patients 63 (73%) were males and 23 (27%) were females. Their mean age was 54 years with SD ± 12. Pain was present in 47 (54%) patients and 39 (46%) were pain free. It was severe in 3 (7%), moderate in 34 (72%) and mild in 10 (21%) patients. Out of post EVBL pain group 30 (65%) patients experienced pain after first EVBL session, 12 (25%) in subsequent and 5 (10%) after all the sessions. Conclusion: Post EVBL pain is a common complication. Mostly it is mild to moderate in intensity and needs attention in almost half of the patients to relief the suffering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]