Pediatric Surgeons' Approaches to Postoperative Analgesia in Türkiye.

Objective: This research aimed to evaluate the knowledge and experience of pediatric surgeons in Türkiye regarding multimodal analgesia approaches, and the use of regional anesthesia techniques in pediatric abdominal surgery. The research also aimed to investigate what can be done for better pain management in pediatric abdominal surgeries in Türkiye. Materials and Methods: The study sample included 825 active pediatric surgery specialists and 204 resident physicians in Türkiye. A questionnaire consisting of 27 questions was distributed to Turkish pediatric surgeons via email and WhatsApp. Based on the answers given to the questionnaire, we aimed to investigate the most commonly used postoperative analgesia methods in pediatric abdominal surgeries, whether multimodal analgesia methods are preferred for pain control, and the reasons affecting these preferences. Results: Feedback was received from 122 physicians. Among the participants, 54.09% had worked as pediatric surgeons for 15 years or more, while 8.19% were resident physicians. Anesthesiologists, with whom 55.4% of the participants worked, preferred only intravenous (IV) drugs as the postoperative analgesia method. It was found that 70.8% of the participants did not experience ultrasound-guided anterior abdominal wall blocks in pediatric cases at their institutions. Additionally, a significant proportion of the participants (82%) reported a lack of training on multimodal analgesia. Conclusion:The data show a lack of awareness regarding the importance of using multimodal analgesia approach in pediatric cases, revealing the importance of the benefits of collaborative work and training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]