Operative results after xiphoidectomy in patients with xiphodynia

BACKGROUND: Xiphodynia, the painful xiphoid process, is a rare condition with an atypical presentation. Symptoms differ in severity and site, and can consist of chest, throat, and upper abdominal pain. Primarily, other more severe causes of these symptoms need to be excluded. After this exclusion as xiphodynia is diagnosed, treatment can consist of a multitude of options, since there is no consensus regarding the optimal treatment. The aim of this study was to describe the outcomes and efficacy of one of the options, namely surgical resection of the xiphoid in patients with xiphodynia. METHODS: In this retrospective case series, all consecutive patients that underwent xiphoidectomy for xiphodynia between January 2014 and December 2017 were included. Patients’ medical files including pre-operative work up, NRS scores, surgical outcomes, and follow up were reviewed. All patients received a questionnaire with follow-up questions. RESULTS: A total of 19 patients were included. None of the patients had surgery-related complications. Response rate of the questionnaire was 84% and showed that 94% of patients had an improvement of complaints after surgery, with 10 patients (63%) being totally pain free, after a mean follow-up from 34 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Xiphoidectomy is feasible and safe for the treatment of patients with xiphodynia with an improvement of complaints in nearly all patients.