E.MARTIN Acute pain services are now established worldwide and guidelines have been drawn for the management of acute pain resulting from surgical or medical procedures and trauma. However, the treatment of pain after surgery is still inadequate and no progress has been made in recent years in several coun­ tries, including Germany. There are still innumerable patients who find the is also no early postoperative period to be an unpleasant experience. There doubt that pain plays a role in the pathogenesis of postoperative complica­ tions that could be avoided with effective pain management. However, concern about side effects and inadequate knowledge of the pharmacokinet­ ics and -dynamics of drugs is still putting constraints on treatment. An acute pain service should be responsible for adequately treating pain, training medical and nursing staff, and evaluating new and existing methods of treatment. As anesthesiologists deal with pain in the operating theater, it is not surprising that they claim a leading role for themselves in acute pain services choosing from the various postoperative pain treatment options.