出版社：International Medical Journal Management and Indexing System
摘要：Thoracotomy is one of the surgical procedures that present with increased incidence of chronic postoperative pain and discomfort. The related pain after thoracotomy can provoke considerable peri-operative as well as long-term morbidity of notable intensity and duration. Post-thoracotomy pain is considered to be a result of the thoracic structure damage, including damage to ribs, muscles, peripheral nerves and pleura. The surgical incision, the rib retraction, the discontinuity of costal pleura, trocar placement and suturing are the possible pathogenic causes of chronic post-thoracotomy pain. Various techniques and prevention strategies have been proposed in order to offer satisfactory analgesia to postoperative thoracotomy pain. Nevertheless, both acute and chronic pain related to thoracotomy continue to represent a challenge for thoracic surgeons. Recommenda tions can only be established in this regard based on unique studies, with a higher or lower level of evidence depending on their design. Well designed randomized prospective studies are required to evaluate the diverse technical variation for the performance of thoracotomy and their association with post-thoracotomy pain.
