Patient experience of postoperative pain: a paradigm shift to a holistic approach

Postoperative pain has many unwanted consequences as it delays immediate recovery and may be a factor leading to chronification of pain. Although many studies have shown a link between acute postoperative pain and persistent pain, many other factors may play a role. Maurice-Szamburski and colleagues have shown that acute postoperative pain is not directly associated with the occurrence of chronic pain, but that the pain component of the Evaluation du Vécu de l'Anesthésie Générale (EVAN-G) questionnaire is associated with this outcome. As EVAN-G is a questionnaire that focuses on the patient experience after surgery, this is in line with the suggestion that unidimensional pain scores are not sufficient to assess the quality of recovery, and that both clinical studies and practice should move towards a more holistic approach after surgery.