title: Intercostal bundle-splitting thoracotomy reduces chronic post-thoracotomy pain.
abstract: Intercostal nerve damage is the probable cause of chronic post-thoracotomy pain, but the precise mechanism is not known. To reduce this pain, we devised a simple method of rib spreading and closure (intercostal bundle-splitting thoracotomy), which avoids the intercostal nerve during thoracotomy, and then verified its effectiveness. The devised method appears to result in less chronic pain than the conventional method.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Gachon Medical School, Gil Hospital, Incheon, Republic of Korea. pittz@hanmail.net
authors.forename: J-I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: G-W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: K-Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007367:Intercostal Nerves / Q000293:injuries*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome