Incidence and Severity of Chronic Pain After Caesarean Section: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis

(Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2016;33(11):853–865) Cesarean section (CS) rates have increased throughout the developed world over the past several decades. Currently, nearly one third of deliveries in the United States and one quarter in Europe occur via CS. Thus, CS is one of the most common surgeries performed throughout the world, amounting to 22.9 million cases in 2012. Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) has been identified as a significant problem after many surgical procedures but the data are somewhat limited and inconsistent for CS. These authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to analyze CPSP among women after CS. The objective of this research was to determine the incidence and severity of CPSP following CS.