Outcome of Pain Management

Abstract

Summary The practice of anesthesiology continues to mature as evidenced by the increased involvement of anesthesiologists in the total perioperative care of surgical patients. That care now extends well into the postoperative period with the utilization of new and more powerful techniques for the control of pain. The technique chosen for pain control after operation may have a significant influence on several aspects of recovery. These include postoperative pulmonary function and complications, the neuroendocrine response to surgery and its metabolic consequences, and thromboembolic complications. Other aspects of recovery for which encouraging but less conclusive data are available include postoperative cardiovascular function, gastrointestinal function, and mental status. It seems that the very definition of anesthesia practice is changing. The focus and benefit of our care were previously apparent primarily in the operating room. We now find that directing our efforts towards the period following operation may be of equal, or even greater, benefit to our patients.