Long-Term Sensory Function 3 years after Minimally Invasive Repair of Pectus Excavatum with Cryoablation
Topic overview
Three-year follow-up study of 47 pediatric patients after minimally invasive pectus excavatum repair with intercostal nerve cryoablation. Nearly half (46.8%) had residual chest wall hypoesthesia affecting <6% of treated area; 13% reported mild neuropathic symptoms requiring no treatment, demonstrating favorable long-term sensory outcomes.
Key takeaways
- Cryoablation during MIRPE reduces hospital stay and opioid use while maintaining good long-term sensory outcomes at 3 years post-op.
- 47% of patients had detectable hypoesthesia at bar removal, but it affected only 4-6% of treated chest wall surface area on average.
- Sensory changes were limited to 1-2 dermatomes in most cases, with T5 being the most commonly affected level.
- Chronic neuropathic pain was rare (13% reported symptoms) and none required treatment, suggesting cryoablation is safe long-term.
- Hypoesthesia patterns were similar across cold, soft touch, and pinprick modalities, indicating consistent nerve recovery profiles.
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