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- For Pain Patients and Professionals
Chronic pain (CP) is a major public health issue. While new onset CP is known to occur frequently after some pediatric surgeries, its incidence after the most common pediatric surgeries is unknown. This retrospective cohort study used insurance claims data from 2002 to 2017 for patients 0-21 years of age. The primary outcome was CP 90-365 days after each of the 20 most frequent surgeries in five age categories (identified using CP ICD codes). Multivariable logistic regression identified surgeries and risk factors associated with CP after surgery. A total of 424,590 surgical patients aged 0-21 were included, 22,361 of whom developed CP in the 90-365 days after surgery. The incidences of CP after surgery were: 1.1% in age group 0-1 years; 3.0% in 2-5 years; 5.6% in 6-11 years; 10.1% in 12-18 years; 9.9% in 19-21 years. Some surgeries and patient variables were associated with CP. Approximately one in ten adolescents who underwent the most common surgeries developed CP, as did a striking percentage of children in other age groups. Given the long-term consequences of CP, resources should be allocated toward identification of high-risk pediatric patients and strategies to prevent CP after surgery.