Incidence of Chronic Pain After Sternotomy

Ankara City Hospital Bilkent200 enrolled

Overview

Chronic postoperative pain is a well-known problem. Chronic postoperative pain is defined as pain that begins following a surgical procedure and persists for more than 2 months without other obvious causes such as infection or underlying disease. Sternotomy causes significant postoperative pain, and patients with chronic pain after sternotomy are often referred to pain clinics. The incidence of chronic pain after sternotomy ranges from 17% to 56%; In approximately one-third of these patients, chronic pain after sternotomy can compromise their quality of life by affecting their sleep patterns and impairing their ability to work. However, epidemiological studies on chronic pain after sternotomy are scarce. The aim of this study is to examine the incidence and possible risk factors of chronic pain following sternotomy operations. In this study, it was aimed to analyze the chronic pain findings of the patients who underwent sternotomy in the postoperative 3rd month.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

200

Conditions

Postoperative Pain Postoperative Pain, Acute Postoperative Pain, Chronic Sternotomy

Interventions

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 80 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Age between 18 and 80 years * American Society of Anesthesiologists' physical status I-II-III-IV * Body mass index (BMI) between 18-35 kg/m2 * Patients undergoing elective sternotomy Exclusion Criteria: * History of chronic analgesic therapy * Patients with previous sternotomy surgery * Patients who were operated under emergency conditions

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Chronic pain symptoms at 3rd months.

Chronic pain symptoms will be assessed using the numeric rating scale on a scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain). Chronic pain symptoms (burning, stabbing, electric shock-like pain, tingling, numbness, pins, and needles feeling, hyperalgesia, allodynia, and hypoesthesia) will also be asked to the patients at the 3rd month after surgery.

Time frame: Chronic pain symptoms at 3rd month

Quality of life at 3rd months.

It will also be questioned whether the current pain of the patients affects their daily activities. It will be coded as '0 = not at all, 1 = slightly affecting, 2 = very affecting'.

Time frame: Quality of life at 3rd months.

Secondary Outcomes

Acute pain score

Pain will be assessed at rest and while coughing using the visual analog scale on a scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain). Pain assessment will be done at the 24th hour after surgery.

Time frame: At the 24th hour after surgery