Local Application of Combined Natural Essential Oils for Pain Relief after Elective Throat Surgery in the Early Postoperative Period

Abstract

 Objective: Tonsillectomy, cryptolysis of the tonsils and removal of various formations in the pharynx are the most common elective operations in otorhinolaryngology. Pain in the early postoperative period is still the most common complication of these procedures, which can adversely affect the patient's daily life. Considering the potential analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect of essential oil preparations, as well as their ability to be easily applied locally to the affected mucosal surface, it is worth considering their use to reduce pain and dysphagia in the postoperative period in the upper respiratory tract. Results: The study involved 77 patients who were randomly divided into 2 groups: patients taking a medical device containing combined natural essential oils (CDNEO) and patients taking placebo. In the course of the study, a questionnaire was used, according to which patients were interviewed immediately after the operation, then on the 3rd and 10th postoperative days. The results of the study showed that the drug does not directly reduce postoperative pain in the pharynx, but the patients from the group with the medical device based on combined essential oils, had a lesser frequency of taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) than the patients in the placebo group, what indirectly proves the effectiveness of the drug based on combined essential oils. Conclusion: Considering the fact that the frequency of NSAID use is lower in the CDNEO group, it can be assumed that the study medical device reduces the risk of side effects caused by NSAID use, and can also serve as an alternative method of pain relief for patients who are contraindicated in NSAIDs.