title: Pain management strategies for thoracotomy and thoracic pain syndromes.
abstract: Pain after thoracic surgery can be severe and, in the acute phase, contribute to perioperative morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, patients also incur a significant risk of chronic pain. Although there are guidelines for postoperative pain management in these patients, there is no widespread surgical or anesthetic "best practice." Here, we review the recent literature on techniques specific to perioperative pain control for thoracic patients, including medical management, neuraxial blockade, and other regional techniques, and suggest an algorithm for developing a multimodal pain management strategy.
authors: 1Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
authors: Brandi A
authors: BA
authors: Bottiger
authors: Stephen A
authors: SA
authors: Esper
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: Stafford-Smith
mesh_terms: D059787:Acute Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D000465:Algorithms; D000777:Anesthetics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013577:Syndrome; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000777:Anesthetics
keywords: analgesia; minimally invasive surgery; outcome; postoperative care; thoracic surgery