Adolescent Surgery Experience (ASE) Prospective Cohort Study: Postoperative Pain Trajectory, Opioid Use, and Satisfaction
Authors' conclusion
After major surgery, a high proportion of adolescents endorsed persistent pain in month 3 despite relative recovery satisfaction. In addition, an unanticipated number used opioids after resolution of severe pain for which opioids may be indicated.
Study context
- Population
- Adolescents undergoing select procedures associated with mild, moderate or severe postoperative pain, enrolled June 2022 to May 2023
- Participants
- 340 adolescents · 141 major procedures
- Outcome
- Persistent pain
- Follow-up
- Month 3
Methodological detailstext-message surveys
- Text-message surveys
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Persistent surgical site pain, major procedures
Major procedures
57.9%
81 events
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
| Outcome | OR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Persistent surgical site pain over time (per month)Odds declined by 25% each month | 0.75 (0.67–0.83) | |
| 0.512Odds ratio (log scale) |
Predictor of persistent surgical site pain: female sex
| OR (95% CI) | P value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Female sexOnly significant individual predictor | 1.95 (1.11–3.42) | P = 0.02 | |
| 0.20.5125Odds ratio (log scale) |
Satisfaction with recovery ("unhappy" or "very unhappy") · month 3
- "unhappy" or "very unhappy" with recovery, major procedures
- 9.2% (n = 13)
Time to resolution of severe pain (NRS 7 to 10)
- Severe pain resolved within (days after surgery), major procedures
- 3 (IQR 1 to 6)
Prolonged opioid use (more than 2 weeks)
- Prolonged opioid use in weeks 3 and 4, major procedures
- 39.6% (n = 44)
Mild and moderate pain procedures (subgroup)
- Trends similar but decreased in magnitude
Original publication
Adolescent Surgery Experience (ASE) Prospective Cohort Study: Postoperative Pain Trajectory, Opioid Use, and Satisfaction. Anesthesiology. Published 22 September 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →