Funnel Chest

The main objective of this study is to compare epidural blockade with cryoanalgesia of the intercostal nerves as an analgesic method in the postoperative period of minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE).

Intercostal nerve cryoanalgesia has become a popular method for managing postoperative pain after Nuss procedure, showing greater effectiveness compared to epidural anesthesia and patient-controlled analgesia. However, the optimal duration of cryoanalgesia remains unknown. Most protocols use a two-minute cryoablation, although histological studies show similar changes with both one-minute and two-minute applications. This is a pilot, single-center, randomized, double-blind study comparing the effectiveness of one-minute versus two-minute cryoanalgesia in treating pain in patients undergoing correction of pectus excavatum using the Nuss procedure. The aim of the project is to evaluate the validity of the research procedure and determine the sample size for the main study. Preliminary data on postoperative pain intensity, opioid consumption, duration of surgery, length of hospital stay, and complications will be analyzed.