'Why me?' The problem of chronic pain after surgery.

Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) has become a health priority and is scheduled to be included in the upcoming version of the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11). Recent studies on CPSP show unchanged prevalence despite progress made in fundamental research about underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Nevertheless, clinical research has allowed better understanding of some CPSP aspects such as the development of neuropathic CPSP. Actually, some improvements are ongoing such as a refined definition and the assessment of CPSP in vulnerable populations, for example, paediatric patients. Pain after surgery, its resolution or its transition to CPSP is a dynamic process that reinforces the necessity of longitudinal assessment and management. In other words, CPSP can be called 'perioperative medicine'.