PBM Patch for Postoperative Pain Relief After Urological Surgery

The preoperative baseline VAS pain score at rest will be recorded before surgery. Postoperative VAS pain scores at rest will be assessed at 1 hour ±30 minutes, 2±1 hours, 6±2 hours, 12±2 hours, and 24±2 hours after surgery. The time-weighted mean VAS pain score at rest (Scale: 0-100 mm; higher scores indicate worse pain) during the first 24 hours postoperatively will be analyzed using a mixed model for repeated measures (MMRM). Sensitivity analysis will be performed using the area under the curve from baseline to 120 hours (AUC₀-₁₂₀h) with an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) model.

Comparison of the frequency and total dosage of analgesic use among the three groups within 120 hours postoperatively. Analgesics include non-opioids (e.g., Acetaminophen, NSAIDs) and opioids (e.g., Morphine, Tramadol). Opioid use will be converted to Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME) for standardized comparison, in order to evaluate and verify the opioid-sparing effect of the study patch.

Proportion of participants in each group achieving Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS), defined as a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score of ≤33 mm (scale: 0-100 mm; higher scores indicate worse pain) at 1 hour ±30 minutes, 2±1 hours, 6±2 hours, 12±2 hours, 24±2 hours, 48±2 hours, 72±2 hours, 96±2 hours, and 120±2 hours postoperatively, used to assess patient satisfaction with pain control.

Time to first ambulation out of bed and length of postoperative hospital stay will be recorded and compared among the three groups, to evaluate whether patch treatment accelerates the clinical recovery process.

Change in quality of life from preoperative baseline to 120 hours postoperatively, assessed using the Traditional Chinese version of the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire (EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level). Higher index scores indicate better health-related quality of life. The EQ Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS) will be reported as a supplementary measure, with higher scores indicating better self-rated health.

Detailed recording of all adverse events occurring during the study period, including patch-site skin reactions (e.g., erythema, itching, rash) and analgesic-related side effects (e.g., nausea, vomiting, dizziness).