Optics

Physics

Internal medicine

Surgery

Univariate analysis

Cardiothoracic surgery

Retrospective cohort study

Physical therapy

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery

Anesthesiology

Analgesic

Chronic pain

Multivariate analysis

Anesthesia

Incidence (geometry)

Medicine

BMC Surgery

Background Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been widely used as an alternative for thoracotomy, but the reported incidence of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) following VATS varied widely. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors for CPSP after VATS. Methods We retrospectively collected preoperative demographic, anesthesiology, and surgical factors in a cohort of patients undergoing VATS between January 2018 and October 2020. Patients were interviewed via phone survey for pain intensity, and related medical treatment 3 months after VATS. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to explore independent risk factors associated with CPSP. Results 2348 patients were included in our study. The incidence of CPSP after VATS were 43.99% (n = 1033 of 2348). Within those suffering CPSP, 14.71% (n = 152 of 1033) patients reported moderate or severe chronic pain. Only 15.23% (n = 23 of 152) patients with moderate to severe chronic pain sought active analgesic therapies. Age &lt; 65 years (OR 1.278, 95% CI 1.057–1.546, P = 0.011), female (OR 1.597, 95% CI 1.344–1.898, P &lt; 0.001), education level less than junior school (OR 1.295, 95% CI 1.090–1.538, P = 0.003), preoperative pain (OR 2.564, 95% CI 1.696–3.877, P &lt; 0.001), consumption of rescue analgesia postoperative (OR 1.248, 95% CI 1.047–1.486, P = 0.013), consumption of sedative hypnotic postoperative (OR 2.035, 95% CI 1.159–3.574, P = 0.013), and history of postoperative wound infection (OR 5.949, 95% CI 3.153–11.223, P &lt; 0.001) were independent risk factors for CPSP development. Conclusions CPSP remains a challenge in clinic because half of patients may develop CPSP after VATS. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2100045765), 2021/04/24

Incidence and risk factors for chronic postsurgical pain following video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: a retrospective study