Ask the Expert

Michael Yu

This month's Ask the Expert features Dr. Michael Yu, a Specialist in Pain Management at SOCH. Dr. Yu will respond to questions on:

Pain Management

Dr. Yu’s  answers will be informational only and should not be used as a diagnosis or for treatment. Please talk to your physician about official diagnosis of your condition and treatment.

On 3/26/08 I had thoracotomy and am still experiencing pain in the incision area. The dr. told me he feathered a rib and that plus nerve pain is what is causing the discomfort.   How long will this last and what can I do to help myself? Pain meds make me sick and give me a really bad headache.

This type of pain is very common after this type of surgery. The diagnosis is called post thoracotomy pain syndrome. When you do this surgery, it is very possible to damage the nerves that run under the ribs. It is very challenging to treat and it's hard to say when it will go away.  But there are some interventional procedures, such as epidural and even intercostal nerve blocks that can help with the pain. 

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