Acute post‑surgical pain (APP) consists of somatic pain and visceral pain, and poor pain control may develop into chronic post‑surgical pain (CPSP) and affect postoperative outcome. Minimally incisive surgeries can reduce somatic pain, rather than visceral pain. Hence, visceral pain becomes the main cause of APP. This review expounds the serious hazards caused by postoperative acute visceral pain, the neural conduction pathway and characteristics, clinical manifestations and evaluation methods, as well as diagnostic and therapeutic measures, and stresses the importance of investigations concerning the mechanism and prevention and treatment of postoperative acute visceral pain, in order to realize the postoperative rehabilitation in a more comfortable manner.