ES Catheter vs Cryoablation After Pectus Surgery

September 17, 2025 updated by: Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati

Prospective Randomized Trial of Efficacy and Safety of Erector Spinae Catheter and Intercostal Nerve Cryoablation Protocols After Pectus Surgery

Participants will be randomized to receive ES catheter or cryoablation for pain management after the Nuss procedure. The goal of this study is to compare the following between the two groups:

  • Time to achieve short-term physical therapy goals and long-term functional outcomes
  • Compare immediate and long-term postoperative opioid use
  • Compare numbness on chest of postoperative day 1 and the return of sensation to baseline
  • Compare the incidence of neuropathic pain and other complications

Participants will receive surveys for up to 12 months postoperatively.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
176

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Ohio
      • Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, 45229
        • Recruiting
        • Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Charlotte Walter, MD
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Surya Narayanasamy, MD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 12 - 21 years
  • History of pectus excavatum
  • Scheduled for Nuss procedure

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Prior pectus repair
  • Other concomitant surgeries
  • Chronic pain conditions including Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
  • Non-English speaking - rationale: the questionnaires used in the study are in English language and the social and cultural factors of pain perception of non-English speaking patients could affect the study power
  • Severe developmental delays including cognitive (difficulties understanding), motor (cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy), and speech delays (difficulties communicating)
  • History of or active renal or liver disease
  • Major surgery requiring opioids in the last 2 years
  • Severe respiratory problems (such as obstructive sleep apnea, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, or pneumonia within the last month)
  • Cardiac conditions including, but not limited to, cyanotic heart disease, hypoplastic left ventricle, arrhythmia, uncontrolled hypertension with ongoing treatment, Kawasaki disease, or cardiomyopathies. Participants with asymptomatic valvular lesions or defects may be included
  • BMI >35
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding females

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: ES Catheter
Hospital procedure for ES catheters will be followed for postoperative pain.
Procedure: ES catheter
ES catheter for postoperative pain control
Active Comparator: Intercostal Nerve Cryoablation (INC)
Hospital procedure for intercostal nerve cryoablation will be followed for postoperative pain.
Procedure: Intercostal nerve cryoablation (INC)
INC used for postoperative pain control

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Compare time to reach discharge
Time Frame: Day of surgery up tp 10 days post-operative
Comparing physical therapy goals to meet discharge criteria.
Day of surgery up tp 10 days post-operative

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Opioid consumption
Time Frame: Day of surgery to up to one year
Comparing opioid consumption
Day of surgery to up to one year
Numbness on chest
Time Frame: Day of surgery and post-operative day 1

An exam glove with ice will used on the anterior axillary line to obtain a rating of the sensation felt.

0 - no sensation

  1. - lessened sensation
  2. - abnormal/painful sensation
  3. - no sensation
Day of surgery and post-operative day 1
Neuropathic pain
Time Frame: Pre-operative, 6 weeks, 2-3 months, 4-6 months and 10-12 months post-operatively
Surveys will be used to compare the incidence of neuropathic pain
Pre-operative, 6 weeks, 2-3 months, 4-6 months and 10-12 months post-operatively

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Charlotte Walter, MD, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati
  • Principal Investigator: Surya Narayanasamy, MD, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 8, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 1, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 1, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
November 7, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 8, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 12, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 18, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 17, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2022-0760

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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