Chronic Pain in the Obstetric Patient

Chronic pain may develop after surgery or trauma. It is defined as pain that persists for 2months after the initial injury. Although the exact mechanism for the development of chronic pain is not understood, several risk factors have been identified, including female sex, older age, and certain surgical procedures. Chronic pain after cesarean or vaginal delivery has a reported incidence of 10% to 15%. Given the large number of cesarean sections performed, this incidence is concerning. However, a recent study by academic anesthesiologists established the incidence to be much lower than expected.