Preventing Chronic Post-Surgical Pain and Prolonged Opioid Use: The Perioperative Pain Self-Management Program

Surgery can precipitate the development of both chronic pain and long-term opioid use. There is a need for strategies to augment perioperative pharmacotherapeutic management of pain with non-pharmacologic strategies to prevent long-term sequelae. Psychological interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can effectively reduce distress and improve functioning among patients with chronic pain. While CBT has been used extensively in patients with established chronic pain, it has not been used as a preventive intervention targeting the transition from acute to chronic postsurgical pain. The Perioperative Pain Self-management (PePS) program has the potential to reduce the incidence of chronic post-surgical pain and long-term opioid use among Veterans. This study will: Examine the efficacy of PePS compared to standard care on 6-month pain (primary outcome), mood and functioning outcomes as well as time to post-surgical opioid and other analgesic use cessation.