Post-Operative Analgesics Score, Another Tool in the Quest for a Better Pain Management

Abstract

Although acute pain has obvious implications in terms of resource utilization and humane treatment, it is chronic pain resulting from surgical procedures that has the greater impact on quality of life and economic activity. A significant proportion of the harm associated with chronic pain is its’ treatment; the opioid epidemic in the USA and worldwide illustrates the dangers of managing chronic pain with medications designed to relieve acute pain [3]. No standardized therapy for chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) exists; preventative strategies thus deserve focused attention. Surgical techniques have been developed to address this common clinical condition; three main procedures are recommended and used frequently, the open surgical approach (Lichtenstein) and two minimal invasive techniques: extraperitoneal (TEP) and Transperitoneal (TAAP) inguinal hernia repair, but unfortunately previous studies have demonstrated mixed results, in relation with high risk of recurrences, post-operative complications and CPIP. It is important to take in consideration as a clinician, that post- operative pain that develop after a hernia repair procedure, will cause a significant number of patients to suffer CPIP long-term, and even permanently.