Comparative Effectiveness of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs and Glucocorticoids in Managing Postoperative Pain Syndrome

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and glucocorticosteroids in reducing postoperative pain syndrome. For this purpose, information about postoperative pain syndrome was searched in PubMed, ResearchGate, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases for 2016–2024. Depending on the duration, it is classified into acute (up to 3 months) and chronic (3 months or more). Postoperative pain syndrome occurs due to tissue damage, the development of an inflammatory process, and a violation of nerve conduction. Risk factors include severe preoperative pain; mental disorders; anxiety; comorbidities; low income; lack of social support. Effective treatment of postoperative pain syndrome is the main factor for further recovery and a comfortable life of the patient. High-quality anaesthesia helps to cope with pain even at the acute stage and prevents chronicity of the process. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and glucocorticoids in multimodal anaesthesia provide optimal anaesthesia in the postoperative period. They have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antiemetic effects. Prevention includes the appointment of preventive multimodal anaesthesia, the selection of minimally invasive surgical access to reduce the area of tissue injury; psychological support of patients at all stages of treatment; the appointment of rehabilitation interventions in the acute period. It was concluded that for adequate anaesthesia of postoperative pain, it is necessary to use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and glucocorticoids as part of multimodal anaesthesia, because when used independently, they have an insufficient analgesic effect.