Globally, 240 million patients undergo surgical operations each year (Zaslansky et al., 2015), and approximately 60 %–86.7 % patients experience moderate to severe postoperative pain (Chou et al., 2016; Erden, Demir, et al., 2017; Keast et al., in press; Macintyre & Schug, 2021). Although pain organizations have studied for years to develop algorithms intended for evidence-based, effective, and safe postoperative pain management (Pogatzki-Zahn et al., 2017; Reisli et al., 2021; The Joint Commission, 2020, Turkish Anesthesiology and Reanimation Association, 2020), pain management recommendations are not completely implemented in some of the hospitals (Chou et al., 2016; Erden, Akçalı, et al., 2015, Erden, Akcali, et al., 2015; Erden, Arslan, et al., 2017; Zaslansky et al., 2015). A multicenter study examining postoperative pain records found that 50 % of 6347 patients had moderate to severe pain, and 23 % reported severe pain during half of the day or the entire day, although hospitals insisted that they followed evidence-based pain management recommendations (Zaslansky et al., 2015). In a study conducted in Turkey have reported that postoperative pain management was not at the desired level over a 5-year period and patients were not satisfied with pain management (Erden, Akcali, et al., 2015).

Hemodynamic instability caused by a stress factor such as pain may delay recovery as surgical intervention triggers a stress response. Inadequate pain control negatively affects organ functions, causing delays in recovery, prolonged hospital stay, and patient dissatisfaction (Esther, Pogatzki-Zahna, Segelckea, & Stephan, 2018; Kalkan & Guler, 2021). The early postoperative period, and especially the first 24 h, is when patients feel the pain most intensely and pain management is the most important (Erden et al., 2018; Zaslansky et al., 2015). Closely monitoring and evaluating the pain, the effect of pain and analgesia on the patient, the patient's eligibility for analgesia, and the satisfaction of the patient are necessary to help medical personnel in controlling pain during the early postoperative period (Motamed, 2022; Tura & Erden, 2021). In this context, the revised American Pain Society Patient Outcome Questionnaire (APS-POQ-R) assesses the pain management strategies based on clinical outcomes, as well as the patient's response to pain and analgesia, the patient's ability to receive information about pain treatment and participate in the treatment, non-pharmacological pain treatment methods, and satisfaction with the pain treatment (Botti et al., 2015; Fang et al., 2017; Gordon et al., 2010). Such a comprehensive scale, wherein pain management, response to pain treatment, and patient's satisfaction with treatment are evaluated together as “patient outcomes” in pain management, covering the early postoperative period was not previously used in Turkey.

Effective pain management in the early postoperative period is essential for every individual, and it is the legal and ethical responsibility of the healthcare team to ensure this (Kalkan & Guler, 2021). Effective pain management involves evaluating the level of pain, reducing it to a tolerable level, and utilizing a patient-centered holistic care approach with a multidisciplinary team to partially or completely eliminate it. For this reason, comprehensive assessment of patient outcomes related the effect of postoperative pain management is important.

This is the first comprehensive study in Turkey that evaluates the effects of pain management in the first 24 h after surgery on patient outcomes in all surgical fields. It is thought that this study will contribute to the evaluation of the pain management process and the patients' satisfaction with pain treatment. The study's findings will provide insights for future research aimed at conducting a thorough analysis of current postoperative pain management methods and enhancing patient outcomes.