title: Post-thoracotomy pain syndrome and sensory disturbances following thoracotomy at 6- and 12-month follow-ups.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Persistent pain affects a large proportion of patients after thoracotomy and is associated with sensory disturbances. The objective of this prospective study was to investigate the time course of pain and sensory disturbances over a 12-month period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients scheduled for thoracotomy were recruited. Data were collected on the day before surgery, including baseline characteristics and the presence of any preoperative pain. At 6- and 12-month follow-ups, data on pain were collected using the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form, and perceived sensory disturbances around the thoracotomy scar were recorded from a self-exploration test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 12 months after surgery, 97 patients had complete data including baseline and 6-and 12-month measurements. Almost half of the patients reported post-thoracotomy pain at the follow-ups. However, 20% of the patients not reporting post-thoracotomy pain at 6 months did report it at 12 months. Between 40% and 60% of patients experienced some kind of sensory disturbance at 6 months. A small decline in some kind of sensory disturbance was reported by 20%-50% of patients at 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A proportion of patients experienced either resolved or delayed onset of pain. Sensory changes were strongly associated with post-thoracotomy pain syndrome, but were also present in a large proportion of patients without it.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences.
authors.forename: Fredrik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hetmann
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergencies and Critical Care, Department of Anaesthesiology, Oslo University Hospital; Medical Faculty, University of Oslo.
authors.forename: Ulf E
authors.initials: UE
authors.lastname: Kongsgaard
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Division of Oslo Hospital Services.
authors.forename: Leiv
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sandvik
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty, University of Oslo; Department of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Division of Cancer and Surgery, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Inger
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schou-Bredal
keywords: chronic pain; delayed pain; pain; post-thoracotomy pain syndrome; sensory disturbance; thoracic surgery