Ice your pain away: nerve freezing may cut opioid use after lung surgery

NCT ID NCT05144828

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: Medical College of Wisconsin Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested freezing the nerves between the ribs during robot-assisted lung surgery to see if it reduces pain and the need for painkillers afterward. 33 adults having lung surgery were randomly assigned to get the nerve freeze or standard pain medicine. Researchers tracked their pain scores and painkiller use for 21 days after surgery.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Intercostal nerve cryoablation (freezing nerves between ribs)
What this could lead to: If it works, this could offer a way to better manage pain after lung surgery and reduce reliance on opioid painkillers.
What could go wrong: This is a small, single-surgeon trial with only 33 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Freezing nerves may cause temporary numbness or other side effects.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for LUNG DISEASES are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

lung disorder Pain, Postoperative

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

LUNG DISEASES PAIN, POSTOPERATIVE

Contacts and locations

Locations

The Medical College of Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.