The Use of Photobiomodulation for Pain and Healing in Cesarean Section

Good incisional wound healing and postoperative pain are the primary concerns regardingcesarean delivery, as it can lead to serious complications and delayed recovery forpatients. Both pharmacological and non‐pharmacological interventions have beeninvestigated to promote effective analgesia and favorable healing of the cesareansurgical incision. Among the therapies under investigation for this purpose,photobiomodulation (PBM) stands out. Photobiomodulation consists of the use oflow‐intensity therapeutic light, and several publications have emphasized its analgesicproperties and its capacity to promote wound healing across various etiologies. Thisstudy aims to evaluate the analgesic and wound‐healing effects of PBM on the skinsurgical incision following cesarean section. This will be a randomized controlledclinical trial in which 30 women undergoing elective cesarean delivery will be randomlyallocated into two groups: a control group or a photobiomodulation group. Allparticipants will receive standard hospital treatment for analgesia and postoperativewound care, combined with an active PBM protocol consisting of 3 J per point (658 nm)applied to the incisional area and 4.5 J per point (830 nm) applied around the wound,delivered immediately postoperatively, as well as 24 and 48 hours after surgery. Thecontrol group will undergo PBM with the laser device turned off, using the same protocol.Patients will be assessed before and after each PBM session, at 24 and 48 hours, and at5, 10, and 40 days postpartum, to evaluate pain intensity using the Visual Analog Scale(VAS) and the McGill Pain Questionnaire, as well as wound healing using the REEDA scale.Clinical wound characteristics, epidemiological data, analgesic consumption during theinpatient period, and the occurrence of adverse events will be used as secondaryoutcomes. A two‐way repeated‐measures ANOVA will be used for comparisons between groupsand across time points. We also foresee a pilot interim analysis when recruitment reachesa size of 10 participants per group. This interim analysis will be performed using atwo‐way/means ANOVA to assess effect size and recalculate sample size, making adjustmentsto the design if necessary.