Perioperative Pain Management

This chapter highlights the prevalence of inadequate pain control in surgical patients, emphasizing the need for a multimodal approach to address nociceptive, inflammatory, and neuropathic pain. This involves integrating regional anesthesia techniques with systemic analgesics throughout the perioperative period. Understanding pain mechanisms from nociceptor activation to central modulation informs effective interventions. Factors such as gender, age, psychological influences, and social experiences significantly impact pain perception and outcomes. Persistent postoperative pain (PPP) arises from complex sensitization processes, warranting a multifaceted preventive strategy. Pharmacologic interventions, including opioids, gabapentinoids, dexamethasone, ketamine, and NSAIDs, are key components, but their judicious use is crucial to mitigate adverse effects. Regional anesthesia techniques offer promise for opioid-sparing analgesia, though rebound pain post-block resolution remains a concern. Overall, optimizing perioperative pain management requires a comprehensive understanding of pain mechanisms and tailored interventions to improve patient outcome.