Anaesthesia & intensive care medicine
Volume 9, Issue 12 , Pages 527-529, December 2008

Analgesia for thoracotomy

Bevan Hughes, MD, FRCPC, is Consultant Anaesthetist and Clinical Instructor at Vancouver General and University of British Columbia Hospitals, Canada. He is currently completing a cardiothoracic fellowship at Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK, and has a special interest in thoracic anaesthesia and transplantation. Conflicts of interest: none declared

Jonathan Mackay, MRCP, FRCA, is a Consultant Anaesthetist at Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK. His special interests are cardiothoracic anaesthesia and resuscitation. Conflicts of interest: none declared

Abstract 

Thoracotomy is one the most painful surgical incisions. Surgical exposure to the thoracic cavity causes damage to multiple nociceptive structures in the chest wall and cardiopulmonary viscera. There is a high incidence of both acute and chronic postoperative pain, which can delay recovery and cause long-term disability. Prevention of pain after thoracotomy is challenging and may require a variety of interventions.

Keywords: chronic post-thoracotomy pain syndrome, intercostal block, post-thoracotomy pain, thoracic epidural anaesthesia, thoracic paravertebral block, thoracotormy, video-assisted thoracoscopy

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

PII: S1472-0299(08)00227-0

doi:10.1016/j.mpaic.2008.09.015

Anaesthesia & intensive care medicine
Volume 9, Issue 12 , Pages 527-529, December 2008

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution