The extensive publication activity of the IPA faculty members was newly supplemented by a professional article by Robert Rapcan MD, FIPP, MBA, PhD., Ladislav Kocan MD., PhD., FIPP, and the team “Cryoablation of intercostal nerve after mini-thoracotomy procedures: Pilot prospective interventional clinical study”,published by the international medical science journal.
Link: https://discoveryjournals.org/medicalscience/current_issue/v27/n142/e384ms3258.pdf
Due to a number of clinical benefits, such as minimal surgical trauma, reduced formation of adhesions and a smaller surgical scar, mini-invasive procedures are increasingly and more frequently used in cardiac surgery as well. In this context, the management of acute postoperative pain in the patient is a fundamental aspect.
In the article, the authors present the results of a pilot study (a study registered in the international registration database Clinicaltrials.gov PRS, US National Institutes of Health under No. NCT03915301) conducted in patients who underwent minimally invasive cardiosurgical minithoracotomy. In the study, they focused on monitoring the parameter of reduction in analgesic consumption and pain control in the postoperative period. Both parameters were compared in two groups of patients, while in one group cryoablation or deep freezing of the intercostal (intercostal) nerve was performed before the end of the operation. Patients after cryoablation showed an unchanged state of pain intensity on the VAS scale during follow-up without further application of analgesics, while more frequent administration of analgesics and more frequent repeated applications of regional blocks were observed in patients in the second group. Cryoablation of the intercostal nerve thus appears to be an innovative method that can have a very effective therapeutic effect in the management of acute pain in the postoperative period.
We congratulate the authors on the achieved results of clinical research and professional publication.