Prevalencia y factores asociados al dolor crónico postoperatorio en pacientes mayores de 50 años con artroplastia total de rodilla en el Hospital Policía Nacional Guayaquil N°2, durante el periodo 2024 - 2025.

Abstract

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a widely used procedure for treating osteoarthritis, effective in reducing pain and improving quality of life; however, a significant proportion of patients experience postoperative dissatisfaction, primarily associated with chronic pain. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of and factors associated with chronic postoperative pain in patients over 50 years of age who underwent surgery at the Guayaquil National Police Hospital No. 2 during the period 2024–2025. A retrospective, cross-sectional, and descriptive observational study was conducted with a sample of 33 patients. The results showed a predominance of patients between 50 and 55 years of age (45.5%), mainly male (66.7%). The most frequent comorbidities identified were hypertension (60.6%), obesity (54.5%), and diabetes mellitus (33.3%). The most relevant complication was persistent pain lasting more than three months, with the pain intensity mostly rated as severe. It can be concluded that chronic postoperative pain is an unfavorable outcome in this age group, which highlights the importance of its identification and timely treatment.