Clinical Trials

Overview

About this study

Pectus excavatum (PE) is a common chest wall deformity where the sternum is displaced posteriorly. In severe cases, surgery is performed to correct the defect (1). In recent years, minimally invasive surgery with the placement of stainless steel support bars has been increasingly performed in patients over the age of 17 years (1-9). Because of the decreased malleability and tremendous pressure required to hold the chest wall in the corrected position, post-operative pain control has been a significant problem in this patient population (2,6,9-12). Thoracic epidurals are commonly employed however mean hospitalizations of up to 7 days have been required before adequate pain control on oral analgesics is obtained (3-5, 13) and patients are suitable for discharge.

It is hypothesized that using the ONQ system (I-Flow Corporation, Lake Forest CA) with bilateral intercostal catheter infusion would provide adequate post operative pain control with a significantly shorter hospital length-of-stay than thoracic epidural. Total use of narcotics for 1 week following surgery would also be less with the ONQ system versus epidural.

Participation eligibility

Participant eligibility includes age, gender, type and stage of disease, and previous treatments or health concerns. Guidelines differ from study to study, and identify who can or cannot participate. There is no guarantee that every individual who qualifies and wants to participate in a trial will be enrolled. Contact the study team to discuss study eligibility and potential participation.

Participating Mayo Clinic locations

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