Sensory alterations and immunological changes during the chronification of postsurgical pain: a study protocol for a prospective observational cohort study.

Introduction: Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) represents a widely underdiagnosed and often poorly treated medical problem, affecting 10-50% of all surgical patients, exhibiting neuropathic features in 35-60%. It is hypothesised that surgery-induced tissue damage and the subsequent immune response cause sensory alterations in the early postoperative period, ultimately leading to a chronic neuropathic or nociplastic pain state. The 'Sensory Changes and Immunological parameters in Postsurgical pain' study (SCIP-Pain study) was designed to test this hypothesis and identify sensory alterations and changes in the immunological response that are related to the development of CPSP with neuropathic features.

Development and validation of a multivariable prediction model for early prediction of chronic postsurgical pain in adults: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Early identification of patients at risk of developing chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) is an essential step in reducing pain chronification in postsurgical patients. We aimed to develop and validate a prognostic model for the early prediction of CPSP including pain characteristics indicating altered pain processing within 2 weeks after surgery.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in adult patients undergoing orthopaedic, vascular, trauma, or general surgery between 2018 and 2019.