Study of Prevalence of Ipsilateral Shoulder Pain in Patients After Thoracic Surgeries

Thoracic surgeries are associated with significant operative trauma1. While thoracic epidural analgesia may help control the incisional component of the pain, an excruciating postthoracotomy. Ipsilateral Shoulder Pain (ISP) could under mine pain management in the post thoracotomy patient2. The incidence of ISP ranges from 21% to 97%3. ISP impairs respiration, mobility, and physical therapy in the early postoperative period4. The etiology of ISP is unclear. Several hypotheses have been proposed as possible causes of ISP, including transection of a major bronchus, ligament distraction by surgical retraction, shoulder joint strain as a result of intraoperative positioning, pleural irritation due to the thoracostomy tube, and referred pain from irritation of the pericardium or mediastinal and diaphragmatic surfaces2, 5, 6. ISP is defined as the pain occurring on the operated side of thoracic surgeries in the immediate postoperative period as early as one hour after surgery6,of dull aching, stabbing, burning, electric or throbbing nature of moderate to severe intensity and resistant to treatment, most commonly located in the region of the deltoid muscle or on the posterior or superior surface of the arm or above ⅓ of the lateral part of the clavicle on the anterior surface of the chest, lasting 3-4 days2, 7-11.The primary objective of this study is to find out the prevalence of ISP and the risk factors associated with it.