[Acute pain in surgery: the significance of a neglected problem]

Acute pain represents a significant problem in surgical patients. However, the management of acute pain in Germany is unsatisfactory, mostly because surgeons are not interested in the pain of their patients, and anesthesiologists do not give pain treatment on surgical wards. The aim of this article is therefore to point out the significance of the problem of "acute pain" for surgeons. Basic knowledge of the production, perception and projection of pain as well as the special aspects of acute versus chronic pain is mandatory. Every surgeon should know about the predictors of postoperative pain, including the surgical and anesthesiological factors and patient characteristics. Efficient management of acute pain requires knowledge of the clinical significance of pain and the different methods for assessment. It is not sufficient to know the methods and advantages of appropriate management of acute pain; one must also understand the dangers. Problems caused by the treatment of pain should be recognized from a clinical point of view. Surgeons must take a greater interest in the problem of "pain", which should lead to the establishment of new concepts in the management of acute pain in surgical patients.