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Pain Management After Cardiac Surgery

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Evidence-Based Practice in Perioperative Cardiac Anesthesia and Surgery

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Abstract

Pain management is a crucial aspect of cardiac surgical care. The goal of “fast-track” cardiac surgery requires that a number of functional milestones are met in a timely manner. In the complex environment where cardiac surgery takes place, the coordination and communication of an analgesic plan is central to safe, effective, and efficient preoperative care. The evidence indicates that the use of multi-modal analgesia in the perioperative period effectively addresses many of the issues necessary for fast track surgery. The traditional use of high doses of intravenous opioids is less likely to achieve the required recovery phase milestones. Multimodal analgesia includes regional anesthesia, non-opioid systemic analgesics, and opioid analgesia. For better postoperative pain management, it is important to start the process at the time of preoperative evaluation by an anesthesiologist. It is also important to identify the risk factors for difficult to control acute postoperative pain, and the development of chronic post-surgical pain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, London Health Sciences Centre, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada

    Kevin Armstrong & Qutaiba A. Tawfic

Authors
  1. Kevin Armstrong
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  2. Qutaiba A. Tawfic
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Correspondence to Qutaiba A. Tawfic .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Distinguished University Professor Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine and Department of MedicineDivision of Critical Care Medicine, London Health Sciences Center and St Joseph’s Healthcare London Centre for Medical Evidence, Decision Integrity and Clinical Impact (MEDICI) Western University, London, ON, Canada

    Davy C.H. Cheng

  2. Associate Professor Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Centre for Medical Evidence, Decision Integrity and Clinical Impact (MEDICI) Western University, London, ON, Canada

    Janet Martin

  3. Professor of Surgery University of Toronto, Melanie Munk Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Tirone David

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Armstrong, K., Tawfic, Q.A. (2021). Pain Management After Cardiac Surgery. In: Cheng, D.C., Martin, J., David, T. (eds) Evidence-Based Practice in Perioperative Cardiac Anesthesia and Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47887-2_61

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47887-2_61

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-47886-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-47887-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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