PROMIS Measures for Perioperative Pain and Recovery in Adult Abdominal Surgery: A Narrative Review

Background and Objectives: Pain intensity scores describe symptom severity but do not directly measure how pain affects daily activities. This narrative review examines PROMIS measures for perioperative pain and recovery in adults undergoing abdominal surgery, with attention to instrument choice, assessment timing and measurement properties. Materials and Methods: PubMed and Web of Science were searched for publications using the terms PROMIS and surgery. Selected clinical reports from elective and emergency abdominal surgery and relevant methodological publications were synthesized thematically. No meta-analysis or formal risk-of-bias assessment were performed. Results: The literature includes the PROMIS-29 Profile, Global Health measures, standalone Pain Intensity 3a, Pain Interference measures and questions derived from PROMIS. Abdominal wall studies frequently used Pain Intensity 3a, whereas colorectal, pancreatic and bariatric cohorts commonly used multidomain profiles. Evidence from emergency general surgery was limited by the absence of preoperative measurements and the small longitudinal samples. Psychometric findings were context dependent: pancreatic studies supported several PROMIS-29 Profile domains, while recent colorectal and bariatric studies identified limitations in summary-score validity and early responsiveness. Comparative trials demonstrated clinical use of PROMIS but did not validate the instruments. Conclusions: PROMIS can complement conventional pain-intensity scales by describing pain-related interference and broader recovery. Interpretation requires the exact instrument and version, an appropriate baseline, a clear recall period and transparent follow-up reporting. Prospective validation of pain-specific measures remains necessary, particularly in emergency abdominal surgery.