Postoperative pain is the most undesired consequence of surgery, and if not managed
adequately, can lead to delayed recovery and increased hospital stay. Surveys continue to
reveal that postoperative pain is insufficiently managed throughout the first world, let
alone in the Third World. An American survey over 20 years showed that only one in four
patients had adequate relief of postoperative pain. This has led recovery room protocols to
include pain as a fifth vital sign that needs to be addressed before patients are discharged
to the ward