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Postoperative pain is a common but often inadequately treated condition. Enhanced recovery pathways (ERPs) are increasingly being utilized to standardize perioperative care and improve outcomes. ERPs employ multimodal postoperative pain management strategies that minimize opioid use and promote recovery. While traditional opioid medications continue to play an important role in the treatment of postoperative pain, ERPs also rely on a wide range of non-opioid pharmacologic therapies as well as regional anesthesia techniques to manage pain in the postoperative setting. The evidence for the use of these interventions continues to evolve rapidly given the increasing focus on enhanced postoperative recovery. This article reviews the current evidence and knowledge gaps pertaining to commonly utilized modalities for postoperative pain management in ERPs.

Purpose Aging populations and increasing quality of life requirements have attracted growing efforts to study chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP). However, a diverse range of factors are involved in CPSP development, which complicates efforts to predict and treat this disease. To advance research in this field, our study aimed to use bibliometric analysis to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate CPSP research and predict research hot spots over the last 10 years. Methods Relevant publications between 2011 and 2020 were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection database. CiteSpace software (v5.7.R2) and the Online Analysis Platform of Literature Metrology were used to analyze research attributes including countries and authors, keywords and co-occurrence, and burst detection to predict trends and hot spots. Results A total of 2493 publications were collected with the number of annual publications showing nearly threefold increase over the past decade. Articles were the primary publication type with the United States as the leading country and the center of national collaboration. Johns Hopkins University provided the leading influence within the CPSP field. Postoperative pain, multimodal analgesia, quality of life, opioid, microglia, cesarean delivery, inguinal hernia, chronification, genetic polymorphism, and lidocaine were the top 10 clusters in co-occurrence cluster analysis. Moreover, burst detection was shown that epidural analgesia, nerve injury, total hip arthroplasty were the new hot spots within the CPSP field. Conclusion Bibliometric mapping not only defined the overall structure of CPSP-related research but its collective information provides crucial assistance to direct ongoing research efforts. The prominent keywords including "risk factor" and "multimodal analgesia" indicate that CPSP prevention and new treatment methods remain hot spots. Nonetheless, the recognition that CPSP is complex and changeable, proposes comprehensive biopsychosocial approaches are needed, and these will be essential to improve CPSP interventions and outcomes.

Ban Leong Sng,1,2 Yin Ying Ching,3 Nian-Lin R Han,4 Farida Binte Ithnin,1 Rehena Sultana,5 Pryseley Nkouibert Assam,6 Alex Tiong Heng Sia1,2 1Department of Women’s Anaesthesia, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore; 2Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore; 3Ministry of Health Holdings, Singapore, Singapore; 4Division of Clinical Support Services, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore, Singapore; 5Centre for Quantitative Medicine, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore; 6Singapore Clinical Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore Abstract: Chronic pain has major adverse effects on health-related quality of life and contributes to significant socioeconomic burden. Hysterectomy is a very common gynecological surgery, resulting in chronic post-hysterectomy pain (CPHP), an important pain syndrome. We conducted a prospective cohort study in 216 Asian women who underwent abdominal or laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign conditions. Demographic, psychological, and perioperative data were recorded. Postoperative 4- and 6-month phone surveys were conducted to assess the presence of CPHP and functional impairment. The incidence rates of CPHP at 4 and 6 months were 32% (56/175) and 15.7% (25/159), respectively. Women with CPHP at 4 and 6 months had pain that interfered with their activities of daily living. Independent association factors for CPHP at 4 months were higher mechanical temporal summation score, higher intraoperative morphine consumption, higher pain score in the recovery room, higher pain score during coughing and itching at 24 hours postoperatively, and preoperative pain in the lower abdominal region. Independent association factors for CPHP at 6 months were preoperative pain during sexual intercourse, higher mechanical temporal summation score, and higher morphine consumption during postoperative 24 and 48 hours. In a majority of cases, CPHP resolved with time, but may have significant impact on activities of daily living. Keywords: chronic pain, hysterectomy, mechanical temporal summation score, postsurgical pain, central sensitization, morphine

In an era of growing concern about opioid prescribing, the postsurgical period remains a critical window with the risk of significant opioid dose escalation, particularly in patients with a history of chronic pain and presurgical opioid use. The purpose of this case report is to describe the multidisciplinary care of a complex, postsurgical pain patient by an innovative transitional pain service (TPS). A 59-year-old male with complex chronic pain, as well as escalating long-term opioid use, presented with a bleeding duodenal ulcer requiring emergency surgery. After surgery, the TPS provided integrated pharmacological and behavioral treatment, including buprenorphine combined with naloxone and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) using the ACT Matrix. The result was dramatic pain reduction and improved functioning and quality of life after 40+ years of chronic pain, thus changing the pain trajectory of a chronic, complex, opioid-dependent patient., Video abstract

Achim Benditz,1 Felix Greimel,1 Patrick Auer,2 Florian Zeman,3 Antje Göttermann,4 Joachim Grifka,1 Winfried Meissner,4 Frederik von Kunow1 1Department of Orthopedics, University Medical Center Regensburg, 2Clinic for anesthesia, Asklepios Klinikum Bad Abbach, Bad Abbach, 3Centre for Clinical Studies, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, 4Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany Background: The number of total hip replacement surgeries has steadily increased over recent years. Reduction in postoperative pain increases patient satisfaction and enables better mobilization. Thus, pain management needs to be continuously improved. Problems are often caused not only by medical issues but also by organization and hospital structure. The present study shows how the quality of pain management can be increased by implementing a standardized pain concept and simple, consistent, benchmarking.Methods: All patients included in the study had undergone total hip arthroplasty (THA). Outcome parameters were analyzed 24hours after surgery by means of the questionnaires from the German-wide project “Quality Improvement in Postoperative Pain Management” (QUIPS). A pain nurse interviewed patients and continuously assessed outcome quality parameters. A multidisciplinary team of anesthetists, orthopedic surgeons, and nurses implemented a regular procedure of data analysis and internal benchmarking. The health care team was informed of any results, and suggested improvements. Every staff member involved in pain management participated in educational lessons, and a special pain nurse was trained in each ward.Results: From 2014 to 2015, 367 patients were included. The mean maximal pain score 24hours after surgery was 4.0 (±3.0) on an 11-point numeric rating scale, and patient satisfaction was 9.0 (±1.2). Over time, the maximum pain score decreased (mean 3.0, ±2.0), whereas patient satisfaction significantly increased (mean 9.8, ±0.4; p

Ana Mimic,1 Carsten Bantel,2,3 Jelena Jovicic,1 Branko Mimic,4 Darija Kisic-Tepavcevic,5 Otas Durutovic,6,7 Nebojsa Ladjevic1,7 1Department of Anaesthesia, Urology Clinic, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia; 2Department of Anaesthetics, Klinikum Oldenburg AöR, Oldenburg, Germany; 3Section of Anaesthetics, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK; 4East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre, University Hospital Leicester, Leicester, UK; 5Institute of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; 6Department of Urology, Urology Clinic, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia; 7Department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia Purpose: There is an increasing interest in the identification of predictors for individual responses to analgesics and surgical pain. In this study, we aimed to determine psychological factors that might contribute to this response. We hence investigated patients undergoing a standardized surgical intervention (open nephrectomy). Patients and methods: Between May 2014 and April 2015, we conducted a prospective observational cohort study. The following psychological tests were administered preoperatively: Mini-Mental State Examination, Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and Pain Catastrophizing Scale. The primary outcome, postoperative pain intensity (11-point numerical rating scale, [NRS]), was assessed in the “immediate early” (first 8 hours), “early” (12 and 24 hours), and “late early” periods (48 and 72 hours).Results: A total of 196 patients were assessed, and 150 were finally included in the study. NRS scores improved from 4.9 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.7–5.1) in the “immediate early” to 3.1 (95% CI: 2.9–3.3) in the “early” and 2.3 (95% CI: 2.1–2.5) in the “late early” postoperative period. Most (87%) patients received intravenous opioids, while 13% received analgesics epidurally. Repeated measures analysis of variance indicated better pain management with epidural analgesia in the first two postoperative periods (F=15.01, p

Stephen M Cohen,1 Jon D Vogel,2 Jorge E Marcet,3 Keith A Candiotti4 1Atlanta Colon and Rectal Surgery, PA, Atlanta, GA, USA; 2General Surgery Clinic, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA; 3Department of Surgery, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA; 4Department of Anesthesiology, University of Miami Leonard Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA Abstract: Postsurgical pain management remains a significant challenge. Liposome bupivacaine, as part of a multimodal analgesic regimen, has been shown to significantly reduce postsurgical opioid consumption, hospital length of stay (LOS), and hospitalization costs in gastrointestinal (GI) surgery, compared with intravenous (IV) opioid-based patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). Pooled results from open-label studies comparing a liposome bupivacaine-based multimodal analgesic regimen with IV opioid PCA were analyzed. Patients (n=191) who underwent planned surgery and received study drug (IV opioid PCA, n=105; multimodal analgesia, n=86) were included. Liposome bupivacaine-based multimodal analgesia compared with IV opioid PCA significantly reduced mean (standard deviation [SD]) postsurgical opioid consumption (38 [55] mg versus [vs] 96 [85] mg; P

M Gabrielle Pagé,1 Fiona Campbell,2,3 Lisa Isaac,2,3 Jennifer Stinson,2,4 Joel Katz1,3,5 1Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada; 2Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; 3Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; 4Lawrence S Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; 5Department of Psychology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada Background: The goal of this longitudinal study was to examine the associations among psychological factors and pain reports of children and their parents over the 12 month period after pediatric surgery. Materials and methods: Included in the study were 83 children aged 8–18 years undergoing major surgery. In each case, the child and one of their parents completed measures of pain intensity and unpleasantness, psychological function, and functional disability at 48–72 hours, 2 weeks (child only), 6 months, and 12 months after surgery. Results: The strength of the correlation coefficients between the psychological measures of the parent and their child increased significantly over time. There was a fair level of agreement between parent ratings of child acute and chronic pain (6 months after surgery) and the child's actual ratings. Parent and child pain anxiety scores 48–72 hours after surgery interacted significantly to predict pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, and functional disability levels 2 weeks after discharge from hospital. Parent pain catastrophizing scores 48–72 hours after surgery predicted child pain intensity reports 12 months later. Conclusion: These results raise the possibility that as time from surgery increases, parents exert greater and greater influence over the pain response of their children, so that by 12 months postsurgery mark, parent pain catastrophizing (measured in the days after surgery) is the main risk factor for the development of postsurgical pain chronicity. Keywords: pain anxiety, pain catastrophizing, children, parental risk factors, postsurgical pain

M Gabrielle Pagé,1 Jennifer Stinson,2,3 Fiona Campbell,2,4 Lisa Isaac,2,4 Joel Katz1,4,51Department of Psychology, York University, 2Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, 3Lawrence S Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, 4Department of Anesthesia, University of Toronto, 5Department of Psychology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, CanadaBackground: The goals of this study were to examine the trajectory of pediatric chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) over the first year after surgery and to identify acute postsurgical predictors of CPSP.Methods: Eighty-three children aged 8–18 years (mean 13.8, standard deviation 2.4) who underwent major orthopedic or general surgery completed pain and pain-related psychological measures at 48–72 hours, 2 weeks (pain anxiety and pain measures only), and 6 and 12 months after surgery.Results: Results showed that 1 year after surgery, 22% of children developed moderate to severe CPSP with minimal functional disability. Children who reported a Numeric Rating Scale pain-intensity score ≥ 3 out of 10 two weeks after discharge were more than three times as likely to develop moderate/severe CPSP at 6 months and more than twice as likely to develop moderate/severe CPSP at 12 months than those who reported a Numeric Rating Scale pain score < 3 (6-month relative risk 3.3, 95% confidence interval 1.2–9.0 and 12-month relative risk 2.5, 95% confidence interval 0.9–7.5). Pain unpleasantness predicted the transition from acute to moderate/severe CPSP, whereas anxiety sensitivity predicted the maintenance of moderate/severe CPSP from 6 to 12 months after surgery.Conclusions: This study highlights the prevalence of pediatric CPSP and the role played by psychological variables in its development/maintenance. Risk factors that are associated with the development of CPSP are different from those that maintain it.Keywords: chronic postsurgical pain, children, adolescents, anxiety sensitivity

Igor Kissin, Simon GelmanDepartment of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USABackground: Surgical injury can frequently lead to chronic pain. Despite the obvious importance of this problem, the first publications on chronic pain after surgery as a general topic appeared only a decade ago. This study tests the hypothesis that chronic postsurgical pain was, and still is, represented insufficiently.Methods: We analyzed the presentation of this topic in journal articles covered by PubMed and in surgical textbooks. The following signs of insufficient representation in journal articles were used: (1) the lack of journal editorials on chronic pain after surgery, (2) the lack of journal articles with titles clearly indicating that they are devoted to chronic postsurgical pain, and (3) the insufficient representation of chronic postsurgical pain in the top surgical journals.Results: It was demonstrated that insufficient representation of this topic existed in 1981–2000, especially in surgical journals and textbooks. Interest in this topic began to increase, however, mostly regarding one specific surgery: herniorrhaphy. It is important that the change in the attitude toward chronic postsurgical pain spreads to other groups of surgeries.Conclusion: Chronic postsurgical pain is still a neglected topic, except for pain after herniorrhaphy. The change in the attitude toward chronic postsurgical pain is the important first step in the approach to this problem.Keywords: neuropathic pain, persistent pain, chronic pain, postoperative pain