title: The morbidity, time course and predictive factors for persistent post-thoracotomy pain.
abstract: After thoracotomy, patients often suffer from a persistent pain syndrome called post-thoracotomy pain. To elucidate morbidity, time course, and predictive factors for this syndrome, we analyzed follow-up data for 85 post-thoracotomy patients. We used a four-point scale to assess pain: none, slight, moderate and severe. Of 85 patients, 50 reported pain (39 slight, 11 moderate) one day after surgery. A year after surgery, the patients were polled using a simple questionnaire received by the mail. Sixty patients reported persistent pain (34 slight, 14 moderate, 12 severe) a month after surgery, and 35 patients reported persistent pain (33 slight, two moderate) around the time of the poll (1 year after surgery). Although pain deterioration was observed in 40% (34/85) of patients during month 1 after surgery, pain alleviation was seen in 48% (41/85) of patients during months 2-12. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that female gender and pain at postoperative day 1 were predictive for persistent pain both 1 month and 1 year after thoracotomy. Among 35 patients with persistent pain 1 year after surgery, 24 cases reported paresthesia-dysesthesia, and 14 cases reported hypoesthesia. The present data thus suggests that persistent pain is common and often severe 1 month after surgery but is alleviated after 1 year. Clinical time course and symptoms indicate that nerve impairment rather than simple nociceptive impact may be involved in this syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Osaka Medical Center and Cardiovascular Diseases, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gotoda
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kambara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kishi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kodama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koyama
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D010146:Pain / Q000401:mortality*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors