Abstract
Postoperative pain management is an important part of complex perioperative care in patients undergoing thoracotomy, irrespective of the procedure type. Adequate pain relief leads to early mobilisation, improves respiratory functions and decreases global stress response.
Thus, good perioperative pain management significantly reduces postoperative complications. Currently, numerous analgesic methods are available for the management of acute postthoracotomy pain including patient- or nurse-controlled systemic administration of analgesics, infiltration with local anaesthetics, intrapleural or intercostal nerve blockades and neuroaxial blocks (paravertebral, intrathecal, epidural).
The aim of this review is to analyze the currently used methods in postthoracotomy pain management, their benefits in the light of current guidelines, and potential risks.