Incidence and risk factors of chronic post-thoracic surgery pain: A retrospective study.

Background: Chronic post-thoracic surgery pain (CPTSP) is a common complication that affects a patient's quality of life. Thoracotomy is associated with a high risk of chronic pain. Video-assisted thoracoscopy surgery (VATS) is a less traumatic option, but its role in the development of CPTSP is unclear. Regardless of the approach, there is evidence that demographic, psychosocial, or clinical factors also contribute to pain. The primary objective of this study is to determine the incidence of CPTSP in our hospital. The secondary objective is to identify possible risk factors related to CPTSP.

Method: Retrospective, single-centre observational study. The medical records of patients that underwent thoracic surgery between January 2016 and January 2020 were reviewed. The diagnosis of CPTSP was made by reviewing the postoperative visits 6 months after surgery. We analysed the relationship between CPTSP and a series of variables, and then constructed a multivariate binary logistic regression model with a significance level of p < 0.05.

Results: A total of 259 patients were analysed, 46.7% underwent VATS and 53.3% underwent thoracotomy. The overall incidence of CPTSP was 12%; 4.1% in VATS and 18.8% in thoracotomies. The multivariate model revealed that moderate-to-severe acute postoperative pain and a greater number of chest tubes were risk factors for CPTSP.

Conclusion: The incidence of CPTSP was 12% in our hospital. Patients with higher acute postoperative pain severity and several chest tubes were more likely to develop CPTSP.