Incidence of Chronic Pain After Sternotomy

Chronic postoperative pain is a well-known problem. Chronic postoperative pain is defined as pain that begins following a surgical procedure and persists for more than 2 months without other obvious causes such as infection or underlying disease. Sternotomy causes significant postoperative pain, and patients with chronic pain after sternotomy are often referred to pain clinics. The incidence of chronic pain after sternotomy ranges from 17% to 56%; In approximately one-third of these patients, chronic pain after sternotomy can compromise their quality of life by affecting their sleep patterns and impairing their ability to work. However, epidemiological studies on chronic pain after sternotomy are scarce. The aim of this study is to examine the incidence and possible risk factors of chronic pain following sternotomy operations. In this study, it was aimed to analyze the chronic pain findings of the patients who underwent sternotomy in the postoperative 3rd month.

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Key information

Conditions

Postoperative Pain Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pain, Postoperative Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Postoperative Complications Postoperative Pain, Acute Postoperative Pain, Chronic Signs and Symptoms Sternotomy

Age range

18 year–80 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Ankara City Hospital

Çankaya, Ankara, 06290, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Age between 18 and 80 years
American Society of Anesthesiologists' physical status I-II-III-IV
Body mass index (BMI) between 18-35 kg/m2
Patients undergoing elective sternotomy

Exclusion criteria

History of chronic analgesic therapy
Patients with previous sternotomy surgery
Patients who were operated under emergency conditions

Treatment and study plan

Sternotomy application

Procedure

The chronic pain findings of the patients who underwent sternotomy will be questioned at the postoperative 3rd month.

Primary outcomes

Chronic pain symptoms at 3rd months.

Time frame: Chronic pain symptoms at 3rd month

Chronic pain symptoms will be assessed using the numeric rating scale on a scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain). Chronic pain symptoms (burning, stabbing, electric shock-like pain, tingling, numbness, pins, and needles feeling, hyperalgesia, allodynia, and hypoesthesia) will also be asked to the patients at the 3rd month after surgery.
Quality of life at 3rd months.

Time frame: Quality of life at 3rd months.

It will also be questioned whether the current pain of the patients affects their daily activities. It will be coded as '0 = not at all, 1 = slightly affecting, 2 = very affecting'.

Secondary outcomes

Acute pain score

Time frame: At the 24th hour after surgery

Pain will be assessed at rest and while coughing using the visual analog scale on a scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain). Pain assessment will be done at the 24th hour after surgery.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Ankara City Hospital Bilkent

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2022
Primary completion: 2025
Study completion: 2026
First posted: May 3, 2022
Registry last updated: Mar 9, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

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This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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Completed