Editing Neurosurgery (section)

=== Postoperative pain ===
Pain following brain surgery can be significant and may lengthen recovery, increase the amount of time a person stays in the hospital following surgery, and increase the risk of complications following surgery.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Galvin|first1=Imelda M.|last2=Levy|first2=Ron|last3=Day|first3=Andrew G.|last4=Gilron|first4=Ian|date=November 21, 2019|title=Pharmacological interventions for the prevention of acute postoperative pain in adults following brain surgery|journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews|volume=2019|issue=11|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD011931.pub2|issn=1469-493X|pmc=6867906|pmid=31747720}}</ref> Severe acute pain following brain surgery may also increase the risk of a person developing a chronic post-[[craniotomy]] headache.<ref name=":0" /> Approaches to treating pain in adults include treatment with nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs ([[Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug|NSAIDs]]), which have been shown to reduce pain for up to 24 hours following surgery.<ref name=":0" /> Low-quality evidence supports the use of the medications [[dexmedetomidine]], [[pregabalin]] or [[gabapentin]] to reduce post-operative pain.<ref name=":0" /> Low-quality evidence also supports scalp blocks and scalp infiltration to reduce postoperative pain.<ref name=":0" /> [[Gabapentin]] or [[pregabalin]] may also decrease [[vomiting]] and [[nausea]] following surgery, based on very low-quality medical evidence.<ref name=":0" />