Analgesia Methods and Early Mobilization in Geriatric ICU Patients After Major Surgery

Overview

This study looks at how different pain-control methods affect how quickly older adults get out of bed and start moving again after major surgery. Researchers will observe patients aged 65 and older who are admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after major surgery. Doctors will use their usual pain-control methods - either medication given through a vein, an epidural, or a nerve block - based on standard clinical practice; the study team will not change or choose the treatment. The study will record how long it takes for each patient to first sit up, stand, or walk after surgery, along with pain levels, confusion (delirium), how satisfied patients are with their pain control, and how long they stay in the ICU. The goal is to better understand which pain-control approaches may help older patients recover and move more quickly and safely after major surgery.

Early mobilization is a key component of enhanced postoperative recovery in older adults and has been associated with reduced functional decline, shorter intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stays, and fewer postoperative complications. However, postoperative pain remains one of the main barriers to early mobilization. Although several analgesic strategies are routinely used after major surgery, their comparative effects on functional recovery in critically ill geriatric patients have not been well established in real-world clinical practice. This is a prospective, single-center observational cohort study designed to evaluate the association between routinely administered postoperative analgesic techniques and early postoperative recovery in geriatric surgical patients requiring ICU admission. Because the study is observational, all perioperative and postoperative management, including the choice of analgesic technique, will be determined exclusively by the treating clinicians according to institutional practice. No treatment allocation, randomization, or protocol-driven intervention will be performed. Clinical and perioperative data will be collected prospectively from routine medical records, anesthesia documentation, ICU electronic records, and nursing charts using standardized case report forms. Data quality will be ensured through predefined data collection procedures and verification before database entry. The study does not require any additional diagnostic tests, invasive procedures, blood sampling, or alterations to routine patient care. The findings are expected to provide real-world evidence regarding the relationship between commonly used postoperative analgesic strategies and recovery after major surgery in older adults. These results may help optimize perioperative pain management protocols and support future comparative and interventional studies aimed at improving functional recovery in the geriatric surgical population.