Sequels 10 years after thoracoscopic procedures for benign disease.

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Pain Medicine
• Neurosurgery

Background:

• Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) offers reduced morbidity compared to open procedures.
• Chronic postoperative pain (CPP) and neurological sensations are common after VATS.
• Long-term outcomes of VATS-related CPP are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the long-term persistence of sequels after VATS.
• To evaluate the resolution rate of chronic postoperative pain and neurological symptoms years after VATS.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective investigation of 144 patients undergoing VATS.
• Initial assessment of sequels at a mean of 32 months postoperation.
• Re-evaluation of 46 identified patients at a mean of 123 months postoperation.

Main Results:

• At 123 months, 50% of re-evaluated patients were symptom-free, while 50% still had sequels.
• Overall sequels decreased from 31.4% at 32 months to 12.5% at 123 months (p=0.0002).
• Numbness decreased significantly from 16.9% to 1.3% (p=0.0013), while pain prevalence remained similar but less severe.

Conclusions:

• Early postoperative sequels after VATS are common but often resolve.
• Patients experiencing pain years after VATS have a significant chance of symptom elimination.
• Numbness and dysesthesia following VATS tend to resolve almost completely over several years.