Outcomes Using Cryoablation - Pectus Excavatum

The operative treatment for severe pectus excavatum with a substernal bar is the single most painful surgical procedure for patients. Until recently, most pectus bar placement procedures involved pain management using epidural and/or patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), with an average hospital stay of 4 ½ days. After extensively investigating the outcomes and differences with epidural and PCA, early reports of cryoablation to mitigate pain after bar placement made it clear it was time to explore a new strategy.

The team conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients treated for pectus excavatum with bar placement from Jan. 1, 2017, to Aug. 21, 2017. Twenty-eight patients were treated during the study period, with nine undergoing cryoablation. Epidurals were used in eight patients and PCAs in 11 patients, while an additional three PCAs were used in epidural patients who did not have adequate pain control. The chart review revealed that cryoablation improved pain control and shortened hospital stays in those undergoing pectus bar placement procedures. As a result, cryoablation was immediately implemented as the standard method of pain control. Patients are essentially pain-free and able to go home the day after surgery. Read the full study here.