Clinical application of perioperative multimodal analgesia

Purpose of review The experience of intense postoperative pain remains a significant problem in perioperative medicine. The mainstay of postoperative analgetic therapy is the combination of nonopioid agents (e.g. paracetamol and NSAIDs) with strong opioids (e.g. morphine) according to the WHO analgesic ladder. But as the incidence and intensity of postoperative pain remains high, the search for and evaluation of additional concepts is ongoing. This review highlights the current trends of perioperative multimodal analgesia concepts. Recent findings Gabapentinoids, ketamine, dexamethasone and magnesium are effective parts of a multimodal analgesia concept without absolute contraindications and nearly without major negative side effects. Recent publications further define the role of these substances for perioperative use in terms of optimal dosing, positive side effects, relative potency and interaction. Summary Components of well tolerated and simple advanced multimodal analgesia concepts in the perioperative period are now easy to apply and ready to become a standard in the daily clinical practice.