There are various risk factors for CPSP with respect to the patient and surgery type. However, the exact cause of CPSP has not been identified. Some studies reported that the surgery type, extent of tissue damage, and neural damage affect CPSP.

According to Sasso et al. [3], 43% patients suffered pain for 3 months among the 280 patients who underwent iliac crest bone grafting, and 33% patients complained of pain even for a year. Transversalis fascia plane (TFP) block could be effective in controlling acute postoperative pain after iliac crest bone graft harvesting, as reported by Nicholas et al. [4], in the Korean Journal of Anesthesiology. Only 1 of the 23 patients reported of moderately severe pain for 12 months after the TFP block. This result shows a marked difference from previous studies on the occurrence of CPSP. Therefore, TFP block and effective use of analgesics are expected to provide better outcomes for CPSP, although further studies are needed. Since the risk of CPSP correlates with the postoperative pain degree, active control of postoperative pain is important.

As a pain control method, ultrasound-guided regional block is effective not only for anesthesia but also pain control after surgery. Moreover, regional anesthesia could prevent CPSP associated with most surgeries [5]. However, additional studies are required because controversies exist. In conclusion, since postoperative CPSP has high incidence and severity, anesthesiologists should actively engage in research focused on prevention.