Pain due to thoracotomy is among the most severe pain experienced after surgery. It has both neuropathic and myofascial components. About 50% of patients suffer from chronic postthoracotomy pain 1 year after surgery. Thoracic paravertebral block or thoracic epidural analgesia is recommended as the first-choice therapy for thoracotomy analgesia. Preoperatively initiated thoracic epidural analgesia is associated with better pain control and decreased incidence (and intensity) of chronic postthoracotomy pain compared with postoperative (epidural or intravenous) analgesia. Compared with inhalation anesthesia, total intravenous anesthesia significantly reduced the incidence of chronic postthoracotomy pain syndrome, which is notoriously challenging to treat. Gabapentinoids and antidepressants may be beneficial for the neuropathic component of chronic postthoracotomy pain syndrome. A pregabalin and methylcobalamin combination has been shown to be safe and effective in the treatment of chronic postthoracotomy pain, with minimal side effects. Interventional therapies such as intercostal nerve block or ablation, spinal cord stimulation, and targeted subcutaneous neuromodulation may be indicated in more refractory and debilitating cases.
This review contains 1 table, and 57 references.
Key words: chronic postthoracotomy pain, cryoneurolysis, intercostal nerve block, open thoracotomy surgery, paravertebral block, postthoracotomy pain, postthoracotomy pain syndrome, spinal cord stimulation, thoracic epidural analgesia, thoracotomy, total intravenous analgesia, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery
