Chronic pain after breast surgery (Q89606)

Chronic pain after breast surgery is chronic pain developing or increasing in intensity after a surgical incision to the breast area that persists or recurs for longer than 3 months after surgery (i.e. beyond the healing process). The pain is localised to the antero-lateral chest wall and/or in ipsilateral arm/shoulder. Other causes of chronic pain including infection, malignancy etc. need to be excluded as well as chronic pain continuing from a pre-existing pain condition. In case of pain that continues from a preoperative condition, intensity and/or pain characteristics must be different and may include the new development of a neuropathic component.