Surgery can be painful. But there are experts working on how to reduce pain.
And they will meet at NUI Galway for tomorrow, Saturday August 26th.
The 17th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Irish Pain Society will mark the 10-year anniversary since the establishment of the Centre for Pain Research at the University, Ireland’s first multidisciplinary pain research centre.
The theme of this year’s meeting will focus on the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) theme for 2017, ‘Pain After Surgery’.
Professor David Finn, President of the Irish Pain Society, said: “Unfortunately, pain can be a serious unwanted consequence of surgery, affecting millions of people worldwide and exacting a very significant toll on health, wellbeing, society and the economy.
“To address this important unmet clinical need, we require a better understanding of pain neurobiology, and the mechanisms and factors influencing the transition from acute to chronic pain. The Irish Pain Society meeting this year has been organised to increase our understanding of postoperative pain and its treatment,” Mr Finn added.
Speakers will include Professor Esther Pogatzki-Zahn from Germany, who will discuss the prediction and prevention of pain after surgery. Also speaking will be Professor Alison Twycross from the United Kingdom, who is an expert in postoperative pain management in children.
Dr Patricia Lavand’homme will speak about the transition from acute to chronic pain. Dr Niamh Moloney, Guernsey will discuss the profile and management of persistent pain following breast cancer treatment and Dr Rachael Powell will talk about the psychological aspects of understanding and reducing postoperative pain.
The meeting will provide an opportunity to broadening knowledge and networks across Pain disciplines, with the aim of moving towards a more enlightened approach for improved understanding and management of pain post-surgery.
Professor Finn added: “I am really excited to be hosting this year’s Irish Pain Society meeting in Galway and anticipate a day filled with informative and thought-provoking talks covering the cutting edge of research on pain after surgery, as well as fruitful discussions and interactions with colleagues.”
