Interpersonal differences in postoperative pain scores after bariatric surgery: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: Despite intensive and better multimodal pain management schemes during bariatric surgery, many obese patients still experience severe early postoperative pain. Furthermore, postoperative pain varies considerably between patients who undergo the same kind of surgery. The main purpose of this study is to investigate psychological and demographic predictors for interpersonal differences of acute postoperative pain after laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Methods: A search of Pubmed, Web of Science, Cochrane database, PsycARTICLES, Google Scholar from 2008 to 2023 was conducted with the following search criteria: psychological, psychometric, catastrophizing, anxiety, pain, fear, stress, depression, vulnerability, self-efficacy, somatization, perception, bariatric surgery and postoperative pain. Results: Younger age, higher ASA physical status, higher educational level, pre-existing anxiety, pre-existing depression and pre-existing alexithymia may contribute to interpersonal differences in acute postoperative pain scores after bariatric surgery. Conclusion: Limited evidence exists on demographic and psychological factors. Further research is warranted to clarify these demographic and psychological predictors of acute postoperative pain in bariatric surgery to provide a more effective intervention and perioperative care.