Seven ‐year follow‐up of persistent postsurgical pain in cardiac surgery patients: A prospective observational study of prevalence and risk factors

ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this is the longest follow-up of PPP across all surgical specialities and certainly within cardiac surgery. Prevalence of PPP and impact on QOL after cardiac surgery are high and associated with young age, high acute pain score, use of remifentanil and long operative time. We present a predictive score to highlight patients at risk of developing PPP.SignificanceSeven years after cardiac surgery, almost 10% of patients in this cohort described persistent pain in and around the incision. While higher than previous reports in the literature (limited to up to five post-operative years), this assessment was made following three maximal coughs and therefore is movement or function evoked. High incident of persistent postsurgical pain may adversely affect long-term quality of life which is measured using a validated tool.

Source: European Journal of Pain - June 14, 2021 Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Suzanne R. Harrogate, Jackie A. Cooper, Mateusz Zawadka, Sibtain Anwar Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research