Swiss Multi-centre, Randomized, Placebo Controlled Trial of Pregabalin for Prevention of Persistent Pain in High Risk Patients Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery

Inclusion Criteria: * patients scheduled for breast surgery for cancer, either breast-conserving (tumorectomy/ quadrantectomy) or mastectomy, with or without immediate reconstruction, and with or without axillary dissection. * patients of 18 years or more scheduled for above mentioned type of surgery * ability to speak and read French, English or German * high (\>30%) risk of clinically important persistent pain: identified with 2 or more points of a risk score including the items: pre-existing pain at surgical site (2 points), history of depression (1 point), age \< 50 years (1 point), and high expected acute pain (\>6/10, 1 point). * Informed Consent as documented by signature. Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to understand the consent form and to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to language problems, psychological disorders, dementia, etc. of the participant * Participation in another study with investigational drug within the 30 days preceding and during the present study, * Previous enrolment into the current study, * Enrolment of the investigator, his/her family members, employees and other dependent persons * Pregnancy or lactation - Renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance \< 60 ml/min) * Allergy to pregabalin or the ingredients of the capsules * Long-term preoperative therapy with gabapentinoids or high-dose opioids (more than 60 mg of morphine equivalents) * Symptomatic cardiac insufficiency (peripheral oedema, NYHA class III - marked limitation of ph…