Effects of preoperative current smoking on chronic postsurgical pain in thoracic surgery: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the effect of preoperative current smoking on chronic postsurgical pain in patients who underwent thoracic surgery.

METHODS

A total of 5,395 patients aged over 18 years old who underwent thoracic surgery from January 2016 to March 2020 in Henan Provincial People's Hospital were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups: the smoking group (SG group) and the nonsmoking group (NSG group). Propensity score matching was utilized to eliminate the influence of confounding factors, and a multivariable logistic regression model was established to determine the effect of preoperative current smoking on chronic postsurgical pain. The dose-response relationship between the smoking index (SI) and chronic postsurgical pain at rest was analyzed using a restricted cubic spline curve.

RESULTS

In a matched cohort of 1028 patients, the incidence of chronic pain at rest was 13.2% in the smoking group and 19.0% in the nonsmoking group (P = 0.011). Three different models were used to verify the stability of the model between preoperative current smoking and chronic postsurgical pain. A regression model was established to determine the influence of different smoking indexes (SIs) on chronic postsurgical pain. The incidence of chronic pain at rest was lower in patients with SI ≥400 before thoracic surgery than in patients whose SI was less than 400.

CONCLUSIONS

A relationship between the preoperative current smoking index and chronic postsurgical pain at rest was observed. The incidence of chronic postsurgical pain at rest was lower in patients whose SI was greater than 400.