Michael Hugh McGillion, Andrew Turner, Sandra L Carroll, Gill Furze, Jason W Busse, Andre Lamy
Chronic pain after cardiac surgery: prevalence and impact
With the growing burden of cardiovascular disease, the number of people undergoing cardiac surgery, globally, is expected to continue to rise.1 In 2010, 31,613 cardiac surgeries were performed in England and Wales,2 and prevalence data are similar in other Commonwealth countries, including Canada.2,3 While the primary aims of cardiac surgical procedures (including coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG] and valve replacement) are to improve survival, ameliorate symptoms (such as angina) and improve health-related quality of life (HRQL), mounting evidence suggests that the development of