Perioperative predictors of long-term pain following surgery

Abstract

Most patients undergoing major surgery heal within weeks and do not develop long-term pain. Certain surgical procedures, however, are followed by a relatively high rate of long-term pain and discomfort. For example, follow-up studies of patients years after surgery have reported prevalence rates of 30-55% for arm pain after axillary node dissection for breast cancer (Maunsell et al. 1993), postmastectomy scar pain (Kmner et al. 1992; Tasmuth et al. 1996), postamputation phantom limb pain, and post-thoracotomy. chest wall pain (Dajczman et al. 1991; Katz et al. 1996b).