Collection Overview 

Scientific Reports has launched a Guest-Edited Collection on Postoperative pain management.

Preventing and relieving pain after surgery are important for ensuring patient recovery and ensuring quality of life. However, postoperative pain management must also consider concerns such as side effects and the potential of misuse. Understanding the optimal management plan for postoperative pain, including how to best involve the patient, is necessary for improving patient outcomes.

This will be a Collection of original research papers  and will be open for submissions from all authors – on the condition that the manuscripts fall within the scope of the Collection and of Scientific Reports more generally. We are welcoming submissions until 13th August 2026.

Why is this Collection important?

"Postoperative pain management is rapidly evolving. We are transitioning from traditional methods to more complex interventions, which present various challenges in both development and implementation. New techniques are being introduced, while established practices are being reevaluated. When these advancements are integrated into a patient-centered approach, they have the potential to transform how we perceive and manage postoperative pain."

- Dr. Patrice Forget, Guest Editor

"Postoperative pain is often a neglected yet preventable adverse outcome after surgery. By bringing together the experience of surgeons, anaesthesiologists, and nursing staff, various aspects of the prevention and management of postoperative pain may add to the knowledge regarding pain following various surgical procedures. Opioids have traditionally been considered the cornerstone in the management of postoperative pain, but are associated with a wide range of side effects. Studies suggesting approaches to reduce the need for opioids should be encouraged."

- Dr. Gabriel Sandblom, Guest Editor

"Postoperative pain management sits at the heart of surgical care, yet significant gaps in evidence and practice persist. As a researcher in this field, I see this collection as a timely opportunity to consolidate emerging insights — from multimodal analgesia to non-pharmacological opioid-sparing strategies to the evidence of transitional pain services — that are actively reshaping how we treat patients after surgery. I'm excited by the potential to bridge bench and bedside, and to amplify work that might otherwise remain siloed. This Collection could meaningfully accelerate clinical translation. For fellow researchers, it offers a focused, high-visibility platform for work that genuinely matters to patients."

- Dr. Rianne van Boekel, Guest Editor

Why submit to a collection?  

Collections like this one help promote high-quality science. They are led by Guest Editors, who are experts in their fields, and In-House Editors and are supported by a dedicated team of Commissioning Editors and Managing Editors at Springer Nature. Collection manuscripts typically see higher citations, downloads, and Altmetric scores and provide a one-stop-shop on a cutting-edge topic of interest.  

Who is involved?

Guest Editors:

• Patrice Forget, University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom
• Gabriel Sandblom, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
• Harsha Shanthanna, McMaster University, Canada
• Rianne van Boekel, Radboud University Medical Center, the Netherlands

Internal Team:

• In-House Editor: Rachel Toth, Scientific Reports, USA
• Commissioning Editor: Jenny Knowles, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK
• Managing Editor: Aliya Anwar, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK

How can I submit my paper?

Visit the Collection page for more information on the Collection, and how to submit your article.