Applications of Drug Anesthesia in Control Chronic Pain

Abstract

Surgery is one of the major causes of chronic pain in patients that have undergone any kind of surgeries. These complain are not only associated with major surgeries; even common minor surgeries like hernia repair have a significant risk of chronic pain. The development of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) depends on the type of surgical technique used. Furthermore, changes in the central nervous system have been associated with the development of persistent and chronic pain after surgical trauma and nerve injury. Anesthesia agents that block the mechanisms stimulating the process of central sensitization may be efficient in reducing the incidence of CPSP and finally psychosocial factors have been reported to be an important factor in the progression of chronic pain and as such should be addressed as part of perioperative care. The purpose of this mini-review is to give a comprehensive summary of the application of anesthesia drugs to reduce or control chronic pain during or after surgery.

Keywords

• chronic pain
• postsurgical pain
• anesthetic drugs
• risk factors