Progressive reduction of hospital length of stay following minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum: A retrospective comparison of three analgesia modalities, the role of addressing patient anxiety, and reframing patient expectations

Retrospective analysis of 173 pectus excavatum patients demonstrates progressive reduction in hospital length of stay from 4.4 to 1.0 days through evolution of analgesia strategies. Key factors include intercostal nerve blocks, scheduled oral pain medications, and enhanced preoperative counseling addressing patient anxiety and pain expectations, with patients discontinuing narcotics by postoperative day 7.