After a mean of 123 mo 36 patients could be re-evaluated. Eighteen patients (50%) were free from former symptoms, while sequels were still present in 18 patients (50%).
Numbness and paresthesia are rarely reported in the literature but are present in up to 10% of patients 1 year after a thoracoscopic procedure [2,9]. It is known that numbness and dysesthesia may decrease by time, but long-term results are not known.
Early postoperative sequels are frequently found in VATS procedures, but patients with pain even after years have a nearly 50% chance to eliminate their problems. In addition, numbness and dysesthesia seem to disappear almost completely several years after the procedure.
http://www.ejcts.ch/cgi/content/full/32/3/409