Postsurgical Neuralgia

The development of post-surgical neuralgia (PSN) is multi-factorial and many questions still remain unanswered. PSN results from traumatic nerve injury during a surgical procedure. Little is known about the correlation between the mechanism of injury and the clinical presentation. PSN is often unrecogonized and misdiagnosed. It can be severely debilitating. The consequences of postsurgical neuralgia not only affect a patient’s quality of life, but also have a profound impact on healthcare costs. Identifying predisposing risk factors, utilizing a preventative approach, proper and timely detection, enhancing awareness amongst physicians and early pain management referral are imperative steps in the treatment of PSN. Surgeons and anesthesiologist have a crucial role in the prevention of PSN. Identifying high risk patients and high risk surgery types along with collaborative efforts to implement a multimodal perioperative analgesic plan is recommended.