Peri-operative pain management.

Surgery is a circumstance in which we know that we will cause pain. Although most of our perioperative pain management interventions are symptomatic, several strategies can reduce and even prevent pain in the perioperative setting. Because the physiologic mechanisms of postoperative pain are understood, it is possible to interrupt these mechanisms before the patient actually becomes symptomatic. This article reviews the literature and presents these strategies with the hope of implementation of the readers.