Chronic Postsurgical Pain, a first edition edited by G. Mick and V. Guastella, is a thorough, though not all-encompassing, review of the risk factors, evaluation, and preventative strategies for chronic pain resulting from surgical intervention. Drs. Mick and Guastella have authored many research studies in this field and present an excellent synopsis of their understanding of chronic postsurgical pain with contributions from a variety of authors with similar expertise. As an anesthesiologist with clinical and research interests in this topic, the opportunity to review this text was very appealing. This well-delineated four-part book is comprised of fourteen chapters which encompass broad topics of particular interest to the anesthesiologist; Part I - General Aspects, Part II - Risk Factors for Chronic Postsurgical Pain, Part III - Perioperative Strategies for the Prevention of Postsurgical Pain, and Part IV - Clinical Aspects of Chronic Postsurgical Pain.

The book is generally well written and the way it is organized makes it easy to pick up and put down without losing flow. A lone criticism of this design would be placement of the first chapter, How to Study Chronic Postsurgical Pain. The various concepts in this important topic are challenging to grasp straight away, consequently, gathering momentum for further reading proved to be somewhat of a hurdle. Nevertheless, the book flows naturally after the first chapter and the text is well written and referenced. There is a variety of highlights in the book: In Chapter 5, Surgical Factors Influencing the Occurrence of Chronic Postsurgical Pain, the emphasis is placed on surgical implications to help us better understand some of the decisions our surgical colleagues might choose and the implications for our patients. In Chapter 6, Psychosocial Factors Involved in the Occurrence of Chronic Postsurgical Pain, we gain insight into catastrophizing, hypervigilance, and other traits our patients bring into the equation. Chapter 10, Antiepileptics and Perioperative Anti-hyperalgesia: A Survey, offers an up-to-date review of this class of medications and their use in the preoperative arena. This chapter provides a solid background in the pharmacology of gabapentinoids and their clinical utility. Lastly, Chapters 13 and 14 include an in-depth discussion regarding the implications of two specific surgical procedures, breast surgery and knee arthroplasty. The challenges of these two groups of surgical patients may serve as examples that could be generalized to similar cohorts. This text has a noticeable gap in its coverage of regional anesthesia and the role it plays in the prevention and management of postsurgical pain.

In future editions of this textbook, the editors should encourage more consistent formatting amongst the chapters. Nevertheless, I think the anesthesiologist whose focus is on patient-centred postsurgical pain would appreciate reading this book and possibly gain new insight into some research being performed in this field.