Postoperative Schmerztherapie - eine interdisziplinäre Notwendigkeit

as effective as intravenous patient-controlled analgesia or regional methods of pain manage- ment after very stressful and painful major sur- gery. Especially regional analgesia with catheter techniques lead to earlier and more intensive mobilization and rehabilitation. Epidural anal- gesia can reduce cardiopulmonary complica- tions, postoperative ileus, and the hospitaliza- tion period. This may lead to considerable eco- nomic advantages. However, the benefits of an appropriate pain management become only evident when performed as an integrated part of a multimodal perioperative approach based on clinical pathways. This requires interdiscipli- nary management programs, as well as closer cooperation with those involved in outpatient treatment during the postoperative follow-up.