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Procedure-related chronic pain after thoracoabdominal resection of the esophagus

Persistent pain after thoracoabdominal esophageal resection is basically unexplored. The aims of the study were to define the character, intensity, and duration of pain with onset following thoracoabdominal esophageal resection and whether this pain syndrome depended on the time elapsed since the operation, the patient's physical function, and level of activity. A questionnaire was constructed that included questions about pain before surgery and at the time of the follow-up as well as the patients’ physical function and activity level. The questionnaire was sent to 51 long-term survivors of thoracoabdominal esophageal resection and 46 patients responded. At the follow-up, 20 of the 46 patients had pain in the right shoulder, 17 in the left shoulder, 24 in the rib cage, and 23 in the neck/upper back. Six patients reported severe pain (VAS > 60 mm) in the rib cage. A significantly larger proportion of patients had pain after surgery than before (p < 0.001). No correlation was observed between pain and the time elapsed since surgery, nor was pain related to physical function and activity level (rs = 0.120–0.350). Approximately half of the patients who had undergone thoracoabdominal esophageal resection suffered from procedure-related chronic pain. These results indicate the need for focused therapeutic interventions.