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Effects of Intercostal Nerve Cryoablation on Pain Control and Pulmonary Recovery after Open Aortic Repair via Left
Junji Nakazawa1, Yutaka Iba1, Tomohiro Nakajima1
1Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
Purpose:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of intercostal nerve cryoablation on postoperative pain, opioid usage, and lung expansion after open aortic repair via left thoracotomy.
Methods:
This retrospective study included 62 patients who underwent aortic repair via left thoracotomy between 2017 and 2023. Patients were divided into cryoablation (n = 32) and non-cryoablation (n = 30) groups. Pain was assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and lung volume was measured using computed tomography 1 week postoperatively.
Results:
The cryoablation group showed significantly lower mean NRS scores (1.7 vs. 2.4, p <0.01) and lower opioid consumption (6.2% vs. 56.6%, p <0.01). The left lung volume ratio was significantly higher in the cryoablation group (72.3% vs. 62.4%, p = 0.05).
Conclusions:
Intercostal nerve cryoablation effectively reduces postoperative pain and opioid consumption and enhances pulmonary expansion after left thoracotomy. This technique may offer a favorable analgesic option in thoracic aortic surgery.
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