Advances in Postoperative Pain Management and Chronic Postoperative Pain

Dear Colleagues,

Acute pain is usually associated with a specific illness or trauma. It is expected to be limited to its time to repair the damage. The most characteristic acute pain is postoperative pain (POP). It is generally predictable and characterized by its strong intensity and short duration. The clinical features of POP vary from subject to subject and in the same patient over time. This variability is due to the pre-existing pathology and location, type, and invasiveness of the surgery. However, the characteristics of POP also depend on other components, such as psychological factors that intersect with cultural, religious, socio-economic aspects, and others.

Clinically, POP involves a constellation of unpleasant sensory and emotional experiences associated or not with autonomic and behavioral responses. The complex humoral responses that initially work to maintain the homeostasis, when excessive and prolonged, can cause organic, psychological, and behavioral alterations (e.g., anxiety, insomnia, depression, etc.) and can become particularly difficult to treat. Consequently, if not properly treated, POP can assume the characteristics of a complex chronic pain issue. Remarkably, chronic POP (CPOP) is defined by painful symptomatology in the operated area unrelated to previous pain, present for more than 3 months, and without any link to surgical complications.

This Special Issue will identify the gaps in the prevention, diagnosis, and management of POP/CPOP based on a combination of original research and review papers.

Topics will include:

• The epidemiology of POP/CPOP;
• The role of genetics and other mechanisms involved in the development of POP and its chronicization (preclinical research);
• Clinical features of POP in different populations (e.g., in children) and surgical settings (e.g., robotic surgery);
• Diagnostic approaches;
• Prevention of POP/CPOP;
• Interventions for POP/CPOP management.
• Psychological issues;
• New strategies useful for diagnosis and therapy (e.g., AI-based approaches).

Dr. Marco Cascella
Guest Editor

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