Evaluating the pain management among postoperative patients in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

Background: Postoperative pain is one of the most common and distressing consequences of surgery, with inadequate pain management contributing to delayed recovery, increased morbidity, and reduced patient satisfaction. Despite advances in analgesic techniques, patients in many healthcare systems continue to report poor outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate pain management practices and patient satisfaction among postoperative patients in Saudi Arabia. Methods: < 0.05. Results: Of the 688 participants, 52.8% were female, and the majority (95.3%) were Saudi nationals. Most respondents were treated in government hospitals (63.5%) and underwent general (26.9%) or obstetric/gynecological surgery (19.5%). The mean postoperative pain score was 5.29 (SD: 2.94), with 76.2% reporting pain. Pain assessment was inconsistent; 39.4% reported being assessed using numeric scales, while an equal proportion indicated no assessment. The most common management methods were intravenous analgesics (52.2%) and oral medications (44.6%), with nonpharmacological approaches rarely used (1.5%). Overall satisfaction was moderate to high, with 78.8% reporting being satisfied or very satisfied. Conclusion: Postoperative pain remains prevalent and often under-assessed in Saudi Arabia. Although satisfaction levels were generally favorable, significant disparities exist across sex, age, and surgical type. Standardizing pain assessment tools and implementing tailored, multimodal management strategies could improve patient outcomes and overall satisfaction.