Surgical pain refers to the acute discomfort experienced by patients following surgical procedures, resulting from tissue trauma, inflammation, and nerve irritation. Effective management of surgical pain is a cornerstone of anesthetic practice, as uncontrolled pain can delay recovery, increase the risk of complications, and contribute to chronic pain syndromes. Surgical pain management typically involves multimodal approaches that combine pharmacologic interventions—such as opioids, NSAIDs, acetaminophen, and local anesthetics—with non-pharmacologic strategies like nerve blocks, cryotherapy, and psychological support.

Recent advances in understanding pain pathways have led to more precise targeting of nociceptive mechanisms, allowing anesthesiologists to develop individualized pain management plans that minimize side effects and enhance patient comfort. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols heavily emphasize optimized pain control, facilitating early mobilization and reducing hospital stays. Regional anesthesia techniques, including epidurals and peripheral nerve blocks, have revolutionized postoperative pain control for various surgeries.

The Journal of Anesthesia & Clinical Care encourages submissions that address innovations in the prevention and treatment of surgical pain, including opioid-sparing strategies, enhanced recovery protocols, and patient-specific analgesic plans. Research focusing on pain trajectory, postoperative monitoring, and long-term outcomes following surgery is highly relevant to our mission of advancing comprehensive anesthetic care.