Postoperative Pain Management

Abstract

After surgery, over 80% of people experience moderate-to-severe acute pain. Poorly controlled postoperative pain limits recovery and is associated with detrimental short- and long-term morbidity. While surgeons have traditionally been responsible for postoperative pain management, all clinicians providing care for surgical patients have a basic understanding of common pharmacologic and interventional pain management strategies. In this review, we discuss the consequences of acute pain, approaches to pain assessment, and an overview of commonly used therapies to manage postoperative pain.