Using Trajectories of Acute Pain After Surgery to Guide Interventions in a Transitional Pain Service

The Canadian Pain Task Force (CPTF) established the prevention and management of chronic pain as a top priority for Canadians. The Transitional Pain Service (TPS) at the Toronto General Hospital was highlighted as an innovation in pain care. The service has developed over time to secure sustainable multidisciplinary interventions for the prevention and management of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) and persistent opioid use following surgery. A review of the known risk factors associated with the development CPSP across the life span will be discussed. Moving beyond risk factors, publications have outlined acute pain trajectories that suggest patterns of pain with a link to the development of CPSP.  Within the TPS, pain intensity and opioid use in the days following surgery can guide interventions and signal patients that need increased resources upon presentation to the clinic.