Incidence and risk factors associated with ipsilateral shoulder pain after thoracic surgery.

Objectives: This study was designed to determine the incidence and risk factors associated with ipsilateral shoulder pain (ISP) after thoracic surgery and to investigate characteristics, locations, and severity of ISP.

Design: A prospective observational study.

Setting: University hospital.

Participants: Two hundred five patients who underwent thoracic surgery.

Interventions: None.

Measurements And Main Results: Pain at the incisional site and shoulder pain were assessed separately using the numeric rating scale (NRS) during the patients' stay in the postanesthesia care unit. The overall incidence of ISP was 47.3%. The incidence of ISP in thoracotomy patients (58.7%) was substantially higher than in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery patients (20.9%). ISP was described most often as a dull aching pain (87%). In approximately half of the patients, ISP was located at the posterior side of the shoulder. The severity of ISP was classified as moderate to severe in 67% of patients. The potential risk factors associated with ISP were surgery using the thoracotomy approach (risk ratio: 2.12, 95% confidence interval: 1.16-3.86, p=0.014) and surgical duration>120 minutes (risk ratio: 1.61, 95% confidence interval: 1.07-2.44, p=0.023).

Conclusions: The incidence of ISP after thoracic surgery was high and the severity of pain was significant. The thoracotomy approach and the long duration of surgery are potential risk factors for ISP.