Postop Pain Differs by Vitamin D Status

By
Kathryn Wighton
May 27, 2026

Conexiant

Overview

Patients with preoperative vitamin D deficiency experienced significantly higher rates of moderate to severe pain at 12 hours post-surgery compared to those with sufficient vitamin D levels. This study highlights the potential impact of vitamin D status on postoperative pain management in breast cancer surgery, suggesting a need for further research to confirm these findings.

Background

Vitamin D deficiency is a common condition that may influence various health outcomes, including pain perception. Understanding the relationship between vitamin D levels and postoperative pain can inform pain management strategies, particularly in surgical patients. This study specifically examines the effects of vitamin D status on pain following breast cancer surgery, a critical area given the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (up to 50% in surgical patients) in the general population.

Data Highlights

Group	Moderate to Severe Pain at 12 Hours	Mean Tramadol Consumption (mg)
Vitamin D Deficient (<30 nmol/L)	17%	381
Vitamin D Sufficient (≥30 nmol/L)	2%	268

Moderate to severe pain defined as NRS score > 3.

Key Findings

17% of vitamin D-deficient patients reported moderate to severe pain at 12 hours post-surgery compared to 2% of vitamin D-sufficient patients.
At 6 hours post-surgery, 33% of vitamin D-deficient patients experienced moderate to severe pain versus 20% in the sufficient group.
Vitamin D deficiency was associated with more than three times the odds of experiencing moderate to severe postoperative pain during the first 24 hours.
Mean intraoperative fentanyl consumption was similar between groups, suggesting that vitamin D status may influence postoperative pain rather than intraoperative analgesia.
Postoperative nausea was more prevalent in the vitamin D-deficient group.
No patients experienced severe pain (NRS score ≥ 7) during the study period.

Clinical Implications

Clinicians should consider assessing vitamin D levels in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery, as deficiency may be linked to increased postoperative pain and analgesic requirements. Implementing vitamin D supplementation strategies preoperatively (e.g., 1000-2000 IU daily) could potentially improve pain outcomes and enhance recovery.

Conclusion

This study underscores the importance of vitamin D status in postoperative pain management, suggesting that addressing deficiency may be beneficial for patients undergoing breast cancer surgery. Further research is needed to establish a direct causal relationship.