Correlation Between Pain Intensity and Quality of Recovery After Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery for Lung Cancer Resection

Purpose: The Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) questionnaire provides a multifaceted assessment of postoperative recovery, and the resulting score is recommended as an endpoint in clinical studies focused on postoperative pain. We aimed to investigate the correlation between the QoR-15 score and postoperative pain intensity in surgical patients.Patients and Methods: Adult patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for lung cancer resection and were enrolled in a prospective registry or in a previous prospective study were included in this study. Baseline and perioperative data, including the results of assessment using the Korean version of the QoR-15 (QoR-15K) questionnaire at 48 hours postoperatively, were collected from the database. Correlations between the QoR-15K total score, questionnaire dimensions, and postoperative pain intensity at 48 hours postoperatively were determined using the Spearman correlation coefficient (rho).Results: We analyzed a total of 137 eligible patients. Significant negative correlations were noted between the QoR-15K total score and pain intensity at rest (rho = -0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.57 - -0.31, P < 0.001) and during coughing (rho = -0.55, 95% CI: -0.65 - -0.42, P < 0.001) at 48 hours postoperatively. The pain dimension and pain intensity at 48 hours postoperatively showed significant correlations with physical comfort, emotional state, and physical independence dimensions. Multivariable logistic regression revealed a significant negative association between the pain score at 24 hours postoperatively and good or excellent postoperative recovery.Conclusion: The results support the impact of postoperative pain on the overall postoperative quality of recovery in patients who underwent VATS for lung cancer resection. Moreover, the QoR-15K score may be considered as a primary endpoint in clinical studies on postoperative pain control.

Automated summary

This study investigated the correlation between QoR-15K scores and postoperative pain intensity in surgical patients. The results showed a significant negative correlation between QoR-15K scores and pain intensity at rest and during coughing at 48 hours postoperatively. Pain dimension and pain intensity at 48 hours postoperatively were significantly correlated with physical comfort, emotional state, and physical independence dimensions. Postoperative pain at 24 hours was negatively associated with good or excellent postoperative recovery.