High acute postoperative pain increases risk of chronic pain

Analysis of 1170 elective abdominal surgery patients revealed two acute pain trajectory clusters: high and low. Those in the high pain groups experienced almost double the likelihood of developing chronic postsurgical pain (cpsp), along with a significantly poorer recovery quality. Mediation analysis indicated that the quality of recovery within the first five days and subacute pain levels at one month post-surgery are critical mediators linking acute pain trajectories to cpsp risk, highlighting the need for targeted management strategies.