Chronic post sternotomy pain: the role of sternal wire removal—a review

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Abstract
Millions of patients worldwide undergo cardiac surgery via median sternotomy. Many of those patients suffer from chronic pain. Late pain after median sternotomy usually considered insignificant; however recently chronic postoperative pain has been considered as an annoying problem and gaining more attention in order to understand the nature and management of it. In this review we will shed some lights on the incidence, etiology and management of chronic postoperative pain after cardiac surgery with a focus on the role of sternal wires removal as a management option for chronic post sternotomy pain.