A pilot study of multi-modal pain management for same-day discharge after minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (Nuss procedure) in children

Background Despite advancements in minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE), Nuss procedure, postoperative pain control remains challenging. This report covers a multimodal regimen using bilateral single-shot paravertebral block (PVB) and bilateral thoracoscopic intercostal nerve (T3–T7) cryoablation, leading to significant reduction in length of stay (LOS) and high rate of same-day discharge. Methods This is a comparative study of pain management protocols for patients undergoing the Nuss procedure at a single center from 2016 through 2020. All patients underwent the the same surgical technique for the treatment of pectus excavatum at a single center. Patients received bilateral PVB with continuous infusion (Group 1, n = 12), bilateral PVB with infusion and right-side cryoablation (Group 2, n = 9), or bilateral single-shot PVB and bilateral cryoablation (Group 3, n = 17). The primary outcome was LOS with focus on same-day discharge, and the secondary outcome was decreased opioid usage. Results Eleven of 17 patients in Group 3 (65%) (bilateral single-shot PVB and bilateral cryoablation) were discharged the same day as surgery. The remaining Group 3 patients were discharged the following day with no complications or interventions. Compared to Group 1 (no cryoablation), Group 3 had shorter LOS (median 4.4 days vs. 0.7 days, respectively, p < 0.001) and significantly decreased median opioid use on the day of surgery (0.92 mg/kg vs. 0.47 mg/kg, p = 0.006). Conclusion Findings demonstrate the feasibility of multimodal pain management for same-day discharge after the Nuss procedure. Future multisite studies are needed to investigate the superiority of this approach to established methods. Level of Evidence III.