Nursing-Integrated Photobiomodulation Therapy for Post-Sternotomy Pain Management: A Retrospective Analysis of Acute Pain Alleviation and Opioid Sparing in a Single-Center Cohort.

Authors

Yan Wang, Yun Yu, Yubei Kang, Hua Jin, Zheyun Wang

Published in

Pain research & management. Volume 2026. Issue 1. Pages e5561041.

Abstract

Postoperative pain is common among cardiac surgery patients, with some experiencing moderate to severe pain that persists for months. Photobiomodulation (PBM)-red light therapy, as a physical therapy, has been validated for promoting wound healing and alleviating neuropathic pain. This study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of red light therapy in relieving acute postoperative pain in patients undergoing median sternotomy for cardiac surgery.
This single-center retrospective cohort study included 264 patients who underwent cardiac surgery at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital between January 2024 and February 2025. Among them, 184 patients were used as the control group, and the patients in the control group did not receive red light therapy during their stay in the CICU, while 80 patients in the observation group received PBM within 2 h after entering the CICU on the day of surgery. The incidence of acute postoperative pain, critical-care pain observation tool (CPOT) scores, morphine milligram equivalents per kilogram (MME/kg), and wound healing outcomes were compared between the two groups.
The incidence of acute pain was significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group (38.8% vs 57.1%, p < 0.05). Additionally, CPOT scores and MME/kg were significantly reduced in the observation group (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in postoperative drainage output or the incidence of poor wound healing between the two groups (p > 0.05).
In this retrospective cohort, early application of red light therapy was associated with alleviated acute postoperative pain and reduced opioid consumption, with no observed increase in wound-related complications. These findings suggest that PBM may serve as a safe and effective nonpharmacological adjunct for postoperative pain management in cardiac surgery patients.

PMID:
42669041
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 30 Aug 2026.

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