Chronic pain after thoracotomy (Q89613)

Chronic pain after thoracotomy is chronic pain developing or increasing in intensity after a surgical incision to the chest wall (thoracotomy) that persists or recurs for longer than 3 months after surgery (i.e. beyond the healing process). The pain is localised to the chest wall. 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. Chronic pain after thoracotomy is most commonly neuropathic pain. Even if neuropathic mechanisms are crucial, this type of pain should be diagnosed here.