ABSTRACT
When we were asked to contribute a chapter in a major textbook in urology, I was keen on the idea for several reasons. If you look at many surgical textbooks from 10 years ago, pain was often not even mentioned. In the last few years, pain has made it to the radar screen, but only in a cursory fashion. In this chapter we wish to expand on the surgeon’s ability to assess, treat, and more fully understand the complex entity of pain, with the result being to further decrease pain in children. Should a psychological theme in treating pain be explored in a surgical textbook of urology? I feel it is not only important but also essential.
