The Perioperative Pain
Management Pathway
A Best Practices Guide
The Perioperative Pain Management Pathway
A Best Practices Guide
About This Project
The Perioperative Pain Management Pathway is a living repository of evidence-based best practices that Canadian healthcare professionals can reference to help manage patients’ perioperative experiences with pain. Each surgery page notes pain control strategies including opioid prescribing recommendations and non-pharmacological strategies.
The Pathway is part of the SolvingPain initiative. Developed by Ontario’s Anesthesiologists, SolvingPain is a digital harm-prevention tool that aims to reduce the escalating opioid and pain management crisis in Canada through safer opioid prescribing practices and better pain control practices. For more details, head here.
Find a Surgery
Our database contains over 50 of Canada’s most commonly performed surgeries and features pain control strategies for how to treat pain during and after surgery.
Additional procedures will be added over the coming months. These additions will be announced via our mailing list.
Latest Updates
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Endorsements
“Enhanced Recovery Canada has been a long-time champion of the importance of a more holistic and patient-centred approach to enable quicker healing post-surgery and to reduce the possibility of harmful dependence on opioids. We are delighted to welcome the contribution of Ontario’s Anesthesiologists to this space, providing accessible guidance to two of the core principles identified in the ERAS framework: Multi-modal opioid sparing analgesia and perioperative best practices. The Perioperative Pain Management Pathway is based on best-practices and provides tools and resources for the whole care team as well as for patients. It’s a great resource I will be using, and I encourage everyone to adopt.”
— Claude Laflamme, MD FRCPC; Anesthesiologist; Chair, Enhanced Recovery Canada, Project of Healthcare Excellence Canada
“Within the Transitional Pain Service, treating patients with dual chronic complex pain and opioid use disorder has become commonplace. Had transitional care, or early access to care following an injury occurred in a timely manner, these patients may not have required a specialized multidisciplinary approach. Hats off to the OMA Anesthesiology Section for recognizing how important it is that as healthcare professionals, we have easy access to up-to-date evidence guided recommendations when treating acute pain. The tool they have developed not only provides the latest information on opioid prescribing, it also offers valuable co-analgesic and non-pharmacologic options. I would recommend its use to my surgical colleagues, as well as other healthcare professionals seeking evidence-based treatment options for pain management.“
— Hance Clarke, MD PhD FRCPC
Staff Anesthesiologist | Medical Director, The Pain Research Unit, Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network
Director, Good Hope Ehlers Danlos Clinic
Co-Lead, Centre for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, University Health Network
Co-Chair Knowledge Translation, University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain
Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesia, University of Toronto
“The efforts of Ontario’s Anesthesiologists are to be applauded. In conceptualizing SolvingPain, a bold, patient-focused, evidence-based approach to pain management, the Section has demonstrated its commitment to working with the academic experts to translate leading edge research into practice. The Perioperative Pain Management Pathway is an important, up-to-date resource for all healthcare professionals wanting to adhere to the highest standards of care. We have no hesitation in recommending its adoption by all anesthesiologists.”
— Colin J.L. McCartney, MBChB PhD FRCA FCARCSI FRCPC
Professor and Chair | Professeur and directeur, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine | Département d’anesthésiologie et de médecine de la douleur, University of Ottawa | Université d'Ottawa
Head of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine | Chef d’anesthésiologie et de médecine de la douleur, The Ottawa Hospital | L’Hôpital d’Ottawa
Scientist | Scientifique, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute | Institut de recherche de l’Hôpital d’Ottawa
ACUDA President, Association of Canadian University Departments of Anesthesia
