Residual pain (RP) is not rare after sternotomy for cardiac surgery (1). Abnormal postoperative skin sensitivity seems associated with higher risk to develop RP after surgery. Although both hypoesthesia and hyperalgesia have been reported after heart surgery (2), their correlation with RP remains unknown. The study compares early postoperative dysesthesia (at day5 and day30) between patients presenting with RP (RP group) or not (control-C group) after sternotomy for cardiac surgery. 46 consecutive patients scheduled for CABG with IMA harvesting or valve replacement (VR) were included (redo-operation and preoperative analgesics intake were excluded). At postoperative day5 and 30, presence and area of both hypoesthesia and mechanical hyperalgesia surrounding sternotomy incision were assessed. Two months after surgery, incidence of chest RP was questioned by mail. 29 patients (63%) answered the questionnaire, of whom 10 (34.5%) presented with RP and 5 (17%) with incomfort but no pain. Demographic data did not differ between groups: average age 64±10 yrs, BMI 28±5. Respectively in C and RP group, M/F ratio was 13/1 vs 8/2 and CABG/VR ratio was 8/6 vs 6/4. While area did not differ, more patients with RP presented with hypoesthesia at both day5 (70% vs 21%; p=0.01) and day30 (71% vs 10%; p=0.001). Area and presence of mechanical hyperalgesia were not significantly different between C and RP groups at day5 (21% vs 30%) and day30 (40% vs 28.5%). Although postoperative hypoesthesia was significantly more frequent after CABG than VR at day5 (54 vs 9%) and day30 (70 vs 8.5%), the type of cardiac surgery was unrelated to RP development. In conclusion, presence of postoperative hypoesthesia may predict the risk to develop RP at 2 months after sternotomy, independently of cardiac surgical procedure (CABG or VR). (1)Meyerson, Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 2001; (2)Alston, Br J Anaesth 2005.