Managing Pain Before and After Surgery: A course for people undergoing surgery

Pain after surgery is common and usually managed with medications. Evidence shows that learning about pain before their operation helps people undergoing surgery to set realistic expectations about pain, use prescribed medications safely, and improves their well-being and comfort.

Managing Pain Before and After Surgery is a free self-paced online program designed to help people undergoing surgery and their families better manage pain after surgery and decrease complications.

The brief course is made up of three modules:

• Module one: Preparing for surgery
• Module two: Pain after surgery
• Module three: For people experiencing chronic pain prior to their surgery

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Pain Canada also has a pre-surgical pain course for health care providers

In addition to this course for people awaiting surgery, we also offer a concise, evidence-based course to support health care providers to build skills and knowledge about pain in the peri-operative context. Chronic Pain Insights is a free online course that covers clinically relevant strategies for managing pain before and after surgery, with an emphasis on self- management strategies patients can use before and after surgery. Learn more.

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Subject matter experts

Dora (Thea) Wang. HBSc Candidate, University of Toronto. Patient Partner, Patient Voices Network

Anna Lomanowska, PhD. Scientific Associate. Transitional Pain Service, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network

Alyssa Hodgson MA, MD, FRCPC (Anesthesiology). Clinical Instructor, UBC Faculty of Medicine

Hance Clarke MD PhD. Director, Transitional Pain Service, Toronto General Hospital. Staff Anesthesiologist, UHN. President, Canadian Pain Society

Tania Di Renna MD, FRCPC. Medical Director, Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute. Associate Professor, University of Toronto Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. President elect, Canadian Pain Society