title: Pain after sternotomy - review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adequate analgesia after sternotomy reduces postoperative adverse events. There are various methods of treating pain after heart surgery, such as infiltration with a local anesthetic, nerve block, opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, alpha-adrenergic agents, intrathecal and epidural techniques, and multimodal analgesia.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  A review of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, prevention and treatment of pain after sternotomy. We also discuss the various analgesic therapeutic modalities, emphasizing advantages and disadvantages of each technique.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Heart surgery is performed mainly via medium sternotomy, which results in significant postoperative pain and a non-negligible incidence of chronic pain. Effective pain control improves patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes. There is no clearly superior technique. It is believed that a combined multimodal analgesic regimen (using different techniques) is the best approach for treating postoperative pain, maximizing analgesia and reducing side effects.
authors.affiliation: Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Paula Santana
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pain, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp), São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: riokoks.dcir@epm.br.
authors.forename: Rioko Kimiko
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Sakata
mesh_terms: D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000379:methods; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D056346:Sternotomy / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
keywords: Analgesia pós-operatória; Dor; Esternotomia; Pain; Postoperative analgesia; Sternotomy