New study aims to cut opioid use after teen chest surgery
NCT ID NCT06682208
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study compares two pain management techniques—an erector spinae catheter and intercostal nerve cryoablation—for teens aged 12-21 undergoing the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum. Researchers will measure how quickly patients meet physical therapy goals, their opioid use, and any side effects like numbness or nerve pain. The goal is to find a safer, more effective way to control pain 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
- Erector spinae catheter and intercostal nerve cryoablation
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could establish a better standard for managing pain after pectus surgery, reducing reliance on opioids and speeding up recovery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small, early-stage comparison trial. Results may not apply to all patients, and both procedures carry risks like infection or nerve damage.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 176 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2024
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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12 to 21 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
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
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
RECRUITINGCincinnati, Ohio, 45229, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Nerve freezing before chest surgery: safe years later?
- Acupressure tested to ease Post-Surgery nausea in chest deformity repair
- Can we predict chronic pain in teens? new study seeks answers