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Open research questions in Anesthesia and Pain Management

729 gap statements mined from Anesthesia and Pain Management papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 4,535 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • Taken together, these findings suggest that while ESPB may offer modest advantages in pain scores, its overall clinical benefit relative to ICNB remains uncertain. Future research is warranted to explore potential influences of ESPB on opioid-related side effects, such as opioid-induced hyperalgesia, as well as overall patient outcomes to optimize postoperative pain management strategies.

    Erector Spinae Plane Block vs. Intercostal Nerve Block for Pain Management in Thoracic Surgeries and Chest Wall Traumas: A Meta-Analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • While PECS blocks have been widely used in oncologic breast surgery, their application in aesthetic augmentation without general anesthesia remains underreported.

    Regional Anesthesia as Primary Strategy in Aesthetic Breast Augmentation Surgery: Clinical Outcomes in 627 Sedated Patients Undergoing Pectoral Nerves (PECS I–II) and Parasternal Blocks · 2026 · DOI

  • Finally, postoperative outcomes were assessed during the first 24 h only, and therefore longer-term analgesic outcomes remain uncertain. Therefore, the applicability of these findings to patients with more advanced systemic comorbidities remains uncertain.

    Preperitoneal analgesia under direct visualization: laparoscopic-guided deep rectus sheath block improves postoperative pain control after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a randomized controlled trial · 2026 · DOI

  • These findings were inconsistent with the results of a recent randomized controlled trial comparing CSEA and DPE, which reported no significant differences in these outcomes.

    Comparison of labor duration between combined spinal–epidural analgesia and dural puncture epidural analgesia: a retrospective, observational study · 2026 · DOI

  • Limiting are warranted to identify the optimal analgesic strategy for elderly patients undergoing PFNA.

    Effects of isobaric spinal anesthesia combined with different nerve block techniques on postoperative pain and complications in elderly patients undergoing proximal femoral nail antirotation: a retrospective observational study · 2026 · DOI

  • These data are insufficient to establish safety equivalence and do not exclude clinically important increases in uncommon adverse events. Exploratory coagulation findings are presented in the Supplement and were insufficiently robust to support clinical or mechanistic interpretation.

    Dexmedetomidine-containing patient-controlled intravenous analgesia after elective caesarean delivery: a retrospective cohort study · 2026 · DOI

  • Furthermore, non-incisional low back pain and sleep quality were assessed only during the first 72 postoperative hours; therefore, whether the observed benefits persist beyond the early recovery period remains unknown.

    Association between an improved positioning management strategy and non-incisional low back pain and sleep quality in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer: a retrospective cohort study · 2026 · DOI

  • There is limited literature examining the effect on postoperative pain of peripheral nerve blocks in adolescent ACL reconstruction (ACLR) patients (1).

    Decrease in Short-Term Pain and Narcotic Use with Additional Geniculate Peripheral Nerve Blocks in Adolescent ACL Reconstruction · 2026 · DOI

  • One challenge identified is the potential for baseline gender imbalance between groups. Another challenge is the need for careful consideration of patient enrollment patterns during recruitment. The study also notes the importance of controlling for potential confounding variables in the analysis.

    Impact of kinesio tape application on post-operative recovery in patients undergoing surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars: A randomized clinical trial · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for alternative approaches to manage postoperative sequelae in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Current strategies for minimizing postoperative pain, swelling, and trismus have limitations. There is a lack of evidence on the efficacy of Kinesio Taping in improving patient outcomes in this context.

    Impact of kinesio tape application on post-operative recovery in patients undergoing surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars: A randomized clinical trial · 2026 · DOI

  • Exparel’s use as a regional anesthetic has become increasingly common and has shown promise when utilized in ACL reconstruction but has not been studied after IPACK block.

    Liposomal Bupivacaine-Based Regional Anesthesia Provides Excellent Pain Control and Minimizes Opioid Consumption Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial · 2025 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on standardized outcome measures, cost-effectiveness, and additional outcomes such as pain, parental satisfaction, and operator confidence.

    Two-operator real-time ultrasound-guided lumbar puncture in neonates: a case series · 2026 · DOI

  • Thiocolchicoside may have contributed to the smooth postoperative course by limiting muscular spasm, but its specific effect remains to be clarified.

    Regional Anesthesia as Primary Strategy in Aesthetic Breast Augmentation Surgery: Clinical Outcomes in 627 Sedated Patients Undergoing Pectoral Nerves (PECS I–II) and Parasternal Blocks · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies incorporating comprehensive economic evaluations and standardized assessment of opioid consumption are warranted to better define its overall impact on healthcare systems.

    Opioid-sparing analgesia with clonidine versus fentanyl in inguinal hernia repair: a randomized clinical trial · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should focus on optimizing dosing strategies, identifying patient subgroups that may derive the greatest benefit, and evaluating its potential role in broader liver transplant populations, including deceased donor liver transplantation and emergency surgical settings.

    The Role of the Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Facilitating Operating Room Extubation After Living Donor Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Propensity Score-Matching Analysis · 2025 · DOI

  • While the results are promising, limitations, such as a short follow-up period, warrant further research to confirm these benefits across different settings and to assess long-term outcomes.

    Pericapsular Nerve Group (PENG) Associated with Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve (LFCN) Block Versus Fascia Iliaca Compartment Block (FICB) for Total Hip Replacement Surgery: Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial · 2025 · DOI

  • There are no consensus guidelines for perioperative pain management in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) surgery.

    Poster 198: Adductor Canal Block in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery: A Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial · 2025 · DOI

  • Previous studies have found a combination of cryotherapy and compression effective at reducing analgesic consumption and increasing recovery in patients undergoing knee and spine surgery, however, efficacy in patients undergoing shoulder surgery has not been evaluated.

    Paper 24: Cryocompression Results in a Significant Decrease in Opioid Consumption following Shoulder Surgery – A Multi Center Randomized Controlled Trial · 2024 · DOI

  • The authors believe that further studies on the matter are necessary, with a larger number of patients, in order to better describe the outcomes of the intervention.

    Genicular block in total knee arthroplasty: a randomized clinical study · 2024 · DOI

  • Both have demonstrated efficacy in managing thoracic pain, though comparative data remain limited.

    Erector Spinae Plane Block vs. Intercostal Nerve Block for Pain Management in Thoracic Surgeries and Chest Wall Traumas: A Meta-Analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • Future prospective studies with standardized treatment and mobilization protocols are warranted.

    Epidural and intravenous patient-controlled analgesia and the timing of epidural catheter removal after posterior lumbar interbody fusion: a retrospective cohort study · 2026 · DOI

  • We could not evaluate dermatome analysis, and sensory blockade assessment is important to evaluate the success of fascial plane blocks.

    Posterior quadratus lumborum block or lumbar erector spinae plane block for postoperative analgesia management after lumbar spinal surgery: a randomized controlled trial · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for effective postoperative management to eliminate pain and discomfort with minimal side effects - The current methods of postoperative pain management have significant side effects - There is a lack of studies on the preemptive effect of regional blocks in orthognathic…

    The true benefit of the regional block in orthognathic surgery lies in the preemptive effect · 2026 · DOI

  • Although there is evidence that the approach to pain in such surgeries should consist of a multimodal strategy, with regional techniques as the cornerstone, it remains to be determined which regional technique is preferred in these minimally invasive surgeries…

    Intrathecal Morphine in Major Abdominal and Thoracic Surgery: Observational Study · 2025 · DOI

  • Indeed, given the lack of evidence in the current literature, the authors of several series have reported a significant reduction in pulmonary compliance, tidal volume, and vital…

    The Anesthesiologic Impact of Single-Port Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy: A Tertiary Referral Comparative Analysis Between Full-Flank Transperitoneal, Retroperitoneal, and Supine Lower Anterior Access (LAA) · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Anesthesia and Pain Management

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) Future research is warranted to explore potential influences of ESPB on opioid-related side effects, such as opioid-induced hyperalgesia, as well as overall patient outcomes to optimize postoperative pain management strategies (“Erector Spinae Plane Block vs. Intercostal Nerve Block for Pain Management in…”, 2026); (2) Limiting are warranted to identify the optimal analgesic strategy for elderly patients undergoing PFNA (“Effects of isobaric spinal anesthesia combined with different nerve block…”, 2026); (3) Non-incisional low back pain and sleep quality were assessed only during the first 72 postoperative hours; therefore, whether the observed benefits persist beyond the early recovery period remains unknown (“Association between an improved positioning management strategy and…”, 2026); (4) There is a need for alternative approaches to manage postoperative sequelae in oral and maxillofacial surgery (“Impact of kinesio tape application on post-operative recovery in patients…”, 2026); (5) Future research should focus on standardized outcome measures, cost-effectiveness, and additional outcomes such as pain, parental satisfaction, and operator confidence (“Two-operator real-time ultrasound-guided lumbar puncture in neonates: a case…”, 2026). 729 gap statements have been mined from Anesthesia and Pain Management papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 4,535 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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