RT Journal
A1 Krishnamoorthy V, Bhalla P
T1 Long-term analgesic use: Sometimes less is not more
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 2012
FD August 13
VO 172
IS 15
SP 1189
OP 1190
DO 10.1001/archinternmed.2012.2085
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2012.2085
AB 
We wonder if these conclusions can be wholly justified based on the figures presented and whether the problem of chronic postsurgical pain may be more significant than the authors suggest. It has been shown that the incidence of moderate to severe pain 24 hours after cataract surgery may be as high as 6.8%, and after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 57.1%.2 This is certainly not low-pain surgery. The authors' figures show that most patients undergoing cataract surgery do not need further analgesia, but there is a group of patients who need pain relief in the subsequent week. It has been shown that pain at 24 hours may be much worse than immediately after the procedure.3 Rather than overprescribing analgesia in the first week, are we underestimating the pain of cataract surgery and putting patients at risk of chronic postsurgical pain at 1 year?