AIM: To investigate the impact of empowerment-based health education combined with refined pain management in patients undergoing laparoscopic partial hepatectomy.

METHODS: Clinical data from 165 patients who underwent laparoscopic partial hepatectomy at The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between March 2023 and March 2025 were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Based on documented nursing interventions, patients were assigned to an observation group (85 cases) or a control group (80 cases). The control group received routine nursing care, while the observation group received empowerment-based health education combined with refined pain management. Postoperative clinical indicators, postoperative pain intensity, quality of life, and the incidence of complications were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS: The time to first ambulation, time to first flatus, and time to first defecation were significantly shorter in the observation group than in the control group (all p < 0.001). Postoperative pain scores at 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h were significantly lower in the observation group compared with the control group (Wald χ² = 275.16, p < 0.001). At three months after the intervention, scores across all quality-of-life dimensions, including physical, psychological, social function, and material well-being, were significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group (p < 0.001). Additionally, the incidence of postoperative complications was significantly lower in the observation group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Empowerment-based health education combined with refined pain management may facilitate early postoperative functional recovery and improve short-term quality of life in patients undergoing laparoscopic partial hepatectomy, while potentially reducing postoperative complications. These outcomes may be related to enhanced patient participation, optimized pain management, and improved adherence to rehabilitation protocols. This integrated nursing model may have potential value for clinical application. However, given the single-center retrospective design and the combined nature of the intervention, causal relationships cannot be established, and further validation through prospective, multicenter randomized controlled trials is warranted.