Evidence for Regional Anesthesia in Preventing Chronic Postsurgical Pain

( Reg Anesth Pain Med . 2025;50:153-159. doi: 10.1136/rapm-2024-105611) A relatively common adverse outcome associated with surgical recovery is chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP), which can affect postoperative recovery as well as reduce long-term quality of life and increase financial burden. Definitions of CPSP have been varied and inconsistent, as have methods to measure and study the condition; generally, it is agreed that the incidence of CPSP is somewhere between 20 and 30%, and variation in reporting ranges from 5% to 85%. Though there is a significant amount of variation in reporting, the incidence of CPSP has been shown to be rising, with no corresponding advances in treatment. One treatment option that is somewhat controversial is regional anesthesia, and evidence surrounding this method is lacking. This study was designed to synthesize the evidence surrounding regional anesthesia for the prevention of CPSP with a critical analysis of existing literature and the state of the field. The literature review for this study was conducted using PubMed and Medline databases, assessed studies analyzing regional anesthesia and CPSP between database inception and August 2024.