Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
07:14
A Quantitative Sensory Testing Paradigm to Obtain Measures of Pain Processing in Patients Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery
Published on: January 18, 2018
Chronic pain after surgery: what can we do to prevent it
1Department of Anesthesiology, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA 01199, USA. scott.reuben@bhs.org
Current Pain and Headache Reports
|January 12, 2007
Summary
Preventing chronic pain after surgery is crucial. This review explores analgesic techniques to prevent central neuroplastic changes, potentially reducing long-term postsurgical pain and disability.
Area of Science:
- Pain Medicine
- Neuroscience
- Surgical Research
Background:
- Persistent postsurgical pain is a significant clinical issue.
- Underlying mechanisms, natural history, and treatment of chronic postsurgical pain syndromes remain incompletely understood.
- Central nervous system plasticity and central sensitization are implicated in the development of prolonged postoperative pain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the efficacy of various analgesic techniques in preventing or reducing chronic pain after surgery.
- To examine specific chronic postsurgical pain syndromes, including complex regional pain syndrome, phantom limb pain, and post-thoracotomy pain syndrome.
- To highlight the role of preemptive and preventative analgesia in mitigating central neuroplastic changes.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of existing literature on preventative analgesic techniques for chronic postsurgical pain.
- Analysis of studies investigating the impact of preemptive analgesia on central sensitization.
- Evaluation of evidence for specific chronic pain syndromes following surgical procedures.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests that certain preemptive analgesic strategies may reduce the incidence of chronic postsurgical pain.
- Preventative techniques targeting central neuroplasticity show promise in managing acute and chronic postoperative pain.
- The efficacy of these techniques varies across different chronic postsurgical pain syndromes.
Conclusions:
- Preemptive and preventative analgesic techniques are valuable tools for managing and potentially preventing chronic postsurgical pain.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms and optimize therapeutic strategies for diverse postsurgical pain conditions.
- Effective pain management strategies can improve patient outcomes and reduce long-term disability.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Peripheral Artery Disease V: Postoperative Nursing Management
During the postoperative period, it is crucial to focus on maintaining circulation, identifying and managing potential complications, and planning for discharge.Nursing AssessmentVital signs monitoring: Regularly monitor vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature, to detect early signs of complications such as bleeding and infection.Circulation assessment: Monitor pulses, perform Doppler assessments, and check capillary refill, color, temperature, and...
01:29Chronic Pancreatitis II: Collaborative Care
The management of chronic pancreatitis is multifaceted, involving a comprehensive approach that includes thorough assessment, diagnostic testing, and a variety of management strategies.
Assessment:
Assessment:
01:26Endoscopic Procedures IV: Sigmoidoscopy and Laproscopy
Sigmoidoscopy and laparoscopy are distinct medical procedures that enable physicians to internally inspect different parts of the GI tract. Although they serve different purposes, each is essential for diagnosing and, in some cases, treating various medical conditions.
Sigmoidoscopy
Sigmoidoscopy is a diagnostic procedure that uses a flexible sigmoidoscope equipped with a light source and camera to examine the rectum and sigmoid colon. The procedure involves inserting the tube through the anus...
Sigmoidoscopy
Sigmoidoscopy is a diagnostic procedure that uses a flexible sigmoidoscope equipped with a light source and camera to examine the rectum and sigmoid colon. The procedure involves inserting the tube through the anus...
01:25Analgesia and Pain Management
Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
01:44Nociception
Nociception—the ability to feel pain—is essential for an organism’s survival and overall well-being. Noxious stimuli such as piercing pain from a sharp object, heat from an open flame, or contact with corrosive chemicals are first detected by sensory receptors, called nociceptors, located on nerve endings. Nociceptors express ion channels that convert noxious stimuli into electrical signals. When these signals reach the brain via sensory neurons, they are perceived as pain. Thus, pain helps the...
01:22Aneurysm IV: Nursing Management
Vigilant monitoring for aneurysm rupture is essential for patients undergoing aortic surgery.Preoperative Nursing ManagementContinuously monitor the patient for manifestations of aneurysm rupture, such as pallor, weakness, tachycardia, hypotension, abdominal, back, groin, or periumbilical pain, changes in consciousness, and a pulsating abdominal mass. Regularly assess the patient's peripheral pulses.Instruct the patient to consume a clear liquid diet the day before surgery and administer...