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INTRODUCTION We describe the effect of a state mandated opioid consent on opioid utilization and multimodal pain use for major pediatric genitourinary surgeries. METHODS All patients who underwent an inpatient pediatric genitourinary surgery at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh between August 2015 and February 2020 were identified. Inpatient and outpatient multimodal pain control utilization were assessed. Delayed prescriptions or emergency department visits within 30 days were identified and when applicable referenced against National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data. RESULTS After accounting for a 6-month transition period following policy implementation, 462 major pediatric genitourinary procedures were identified. The frequency of discharge opiate prescriptions decreased from 68.4% prior to the transition period to 10.7% afterward(p

Minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (Nuss procedure) is associated with significant pain, and efforts to control pain impact resource utilization. Bilateral thoracic intercostal nerve cryoablation has been proposed as a novel technique to improve post-operative pain control, though the impact on hospital cost is unknown.We conducted a retrospective study of patients undergoing a Nuss procedure from 2016 to 2019. Patients who received cryoablation were compared to those that received traditional pain control (patient-controlled analgesia or epidural). Outcome variables included postoperative opioid usage (milligram morphine equivalents, MME), length of stay (LOS), and hospital cost.Thirty-five of 73 patients studied (48%) received intercostal nerve cryoablation. LOS (1.0 vs 4.0 days, p 0.01) and total hospital cost ($21,924 versus $23,694, p = 0.04) were decreased in the cryoablation cohort, despite longer operative time (152 vs 74 min, p 0.01). Cryoablation was associated with decreased opioid usage (15.0 versus 148.6 MME, p 0.01) during the 24 h following surgery and this persisted over the entire postoperative period, including discharge opioid prescription (112.5 vs 300.0 MME, p 0.01).Bilateral intercostal nerve cryoablation is associated with decreased postoperative opioid usage and decreased resource utilization in pediatric patients undergoing a minimally invasive Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum.Retrospective comparative study, level III.

Pain control is challenging after minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE). Cryoanalgesia, which temporarily ablates peripheral nerves, improves pain control and may accelerate post-operative recovery. We hypothesized that cryoanalgesia would be associated with shorter length of stay (LOS) in children undergoing MIRPE.A matched cohort study was conducted of children (18 years) who underwent MIRPE 2016-2018, using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric database. Each patient who received cryoanalgesia during MIRPE was matched to four controls (no cryoanalgesia). Univariate and multilevel regression analyses were performed.Thirty-five patients who received cryoanalgesia during MIRPE were matched to 140 controls. Patients who received cryoanalgesia had a LOS reduction with similar secondary outcomes (operative time, rates of complication, reoperation, and readmission). On multilevel regression adjusted for matched groups, cryoanalgesia was associated with a 1.3-day reduction in LOS (95% CI -1.8 to -0.8, p 0.001). On sensitivity analysis excluding patients with complications, cryoanalgesia remained associated with a LOS reduction.Cryoanalgesia is a promising adjunct in the care of pediatric patients undergoing MIRPE. Utilization is associated with a shorter LOS without an increase in operative time or complications. Cryoanalgesia should be considered for inclusion in enhanced recovery strategies for patients undergoing MIRPE.

Purpose Prescription opioid misuse has become a public health concern globally. In Canada, little is known about the national prescription patterns in children. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the opioid prescribing practices of pediatric surgeons in Canada. Methods Following ethical approval, an electronic questionnaire was administered to all pediatric surgeons currently practicing in Canada. Questions included surgeon practice information, patterns of opioid prescription at discharge based on the type of surgery, type of opioid prescribed, and availability of training for surgeons/families. Results Fifty-eight questionnaires were completed (response rate: 84%) by surgeons from 8 out of 8 Canadian provinces with pediatric surgery coverage. 33% of responders prescribed opioids (most commonly morphine) for day surgeries and 73% of Pediatric Surgeons prescribed opioids for major surgeries. Most responders (84%) declared that at their institution there was no formal training for residents/fellows in pain control and opioid prescribing. Similarly, 57% reported no education for families about opioids at discharge. Conclusion This first national survey on opioid prescribing practices across Canada reveals that opioids were prescribed to pediatric patients following a broad range of minor and major surgical procedures. Moreover, there seems to be a lack of education for surgeons and families about opioid use. Type of study Descriptive, cross-sectional, practice survey. Level of evidence Level 5.

PurposeMinimally-invasive repair of pectus excavatum by the Nuss procedure is associated with significant postoperative pain, prolonged hospital stay, and high opiate requirement. We hypothesized that intercostal nerve cryoablation during the Nuss procedure reduces hospital length of stay (LOS) compared to thoracic epidural analgesia.DesignThis randomized clinical trial evaluated 20 consecutive patients undergoing the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum between May 2016 and March 2018. Patients were randomized evenly via closed-envelope method to receive either cryoanalgesia or thoracic epidural analgesia. Patients and physicians were blinded to study arm until immediately preoperatively.SettingSingle institution, UCSF-Benioff Children's Hospital.Participants20 consecutive patients were recruited from those scheduled for the Nuss procedure. Exclusion criteria were age

Background Pectus excavatum repair (PEX) is among the most painful thoracic procedures performed. Continuous peripheral nerve blockade (CPNB) is known to be efficacious in optimizing pain control while limiting narcotic use in adult thoracic procedures. It was introduced in May 2015 as a bridge to oral pain control in children undergoing PEX. Consequently, the surgical site infection (SSI) rate increased from 2.7% to 27.7%. Methods SSI surveillance followed national guidelines. The abrupt increase prompted root cause analysis and cessation of CPNB use. A dynamic systems model of SSI in PEX was developed. Statistical analysis compared SSI outcomes with and without CPNB. Results From May 2015 to June 2015, 21 PEX were performed; 11 with CPNB. 6 SSIs were observed. Use of CPNB significantly ( p =0.008) increased SSI incidence. Haller index, number of bars, usage of Fiberwire®, methicillin resistant S. aureus colonization and length of stay did not differ. Root cause analysis revealed the proximity of CPNB catheters to the wound, the use of CPNB with implanted hardware and a delayed utilization of CPNB catheters to be of concern. Conclusion Introduction of CPNB coincided with a significant increase in SSI. Further study is needed to assess the safety of CPNB in pediatric PEX. Level of evidence Level III treatment study.

Pain following bar placement for pectus excavatum is the dominant factor post-operatively and determines length of stay (LOS). We recently adopted intercostal cryoablation as our preferred method of pain control following minimally invasive pectus excavatum repair. We compared the outcomes of cryoablation to results of a recently concluded trial of epidural (EPI) and patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) protocols.We conducted a prospective observational study of patients undergoing bar placement for pectus excavatum using intercostal cryoablation. Results are reported and compared with those of a randomized trial comparing EPI with PCA. Comparisons of medians were performed using Kruskal-Wallis H tests with alpha 0.05.Thirty-five patients were treated with cryoablation compared to 32 epidural and 33 PCA patients from the trial. Cryoablation was associated with longer operating time (101 min, versus 58 and 57 min for epidural and PCA groups, p 0.01), resulted in less time to pain control with oral medication (21 h, versus 72 and 67 h, p 0.01), and decreased LOS (1 day, versus 4.3 and 4.2 days, p 0.01).Intercostal cryoablation during minimally invasive pectus excavatum repair reduces LOS and perioperative opioid consumption compared with both EPI and PCA.II.

Intercostal cryoablation(IC) for pain management in children undergoing Nuss Procedure has been previously described. We evaluated postoperative outcomes following Modified Ravitch procedure for pectus disorders comparing IC to thoracic epidural(TE).Single-center retrospective review of pediatric patients (age 21) undergoing Modified Ravitch procedure (January 2015-March 2019) with either IC(9), or TE(20) analgesia. Primary outcome was length of stay (LOS) and secondary outcomes were inpatient opioid use (in oral morphine equivalents per kilogram; OME/kg), pain scores on each postoperative day (POD), discharge prescriptions, and complications. Pairwise comparisons made with Mann-Whitney U test or Fisher Exact test as appropriate. Two-tailed p values0.05 were considered significant.Patient characteristics were similar. LOS was shorter with IC compared to TE (4 days versus 6; p 0.006). Postoperative opioid use was not significantly different (IC: 1.5 OME/kg versus TE: 1.1; p = 0.10). There was improved pain control on POD 2 in patients who underwent IC (median pain score 3 versus 4; p 0.0004). There was no difference in discharge prescription (IC: 3.3 OME/kg; TE: 4.8; p = 0.19) or complication rate (IC: 55.6%, TE:50%; p = 1.0).IC during the Modified Ravitch reduced LOS compared to TE with improved pain control starting on POD 2, with similar narcotic utilization and complication rates.Treatment Study, Level III (Retrospective comparative study).

Background There is paucity of literature regarding the Frey procedure for children with chronic pancreatitis. The purpose of this study is to present our experience with the Frey procedure in children. Methods This is an observational retrospective review study. All children, who underwent a Frey procedure between August 2007 and May 2014 in the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Kolkata, India were included in this study. Results Twenty four children were included in our study. There were 13 girls and 11 boys. Mean age at operation was 13.95years (range, 4 to 18years). Mean duration between the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis and surgery was 4.41years (range, 1 to 14years). Frey procedure was performed after failure of medical or endoscopic therapy. Mean duration of operation and blood loss were 215minutes (range, 150–300minutes) and 177ml (range, 50 to 500ml) respectively. Average postoperative hospital stay was 8days (range, 5 to 16days). Five patients (21%) developed postoperative complications. There was no in hospital mortality and no patient required reoperation for postoperative complications. More than a median follow-up of 29months (range, 3–78months), 91% of the patients remained pain free. Conclusion Frey procedure is safe and feasible in children with acceptable perioperative complications and good short-term pain control.

Purpose Antiinflammatory medications are thought to reduce the effectiveness of pleurodesis performed for the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax. We reviewed our experience with children undergoing video-assisted thorascopic surgery (VATS) with pleurodesis for pneumothorax to determine if ketorolac administration influences patient outcomes. Methods A retrospective review of patients who underwent VATS pleurodesis for spontaneous pneumothorax from 2009 to 2013 at a pediatric hospital was performed. Length of stay, radiographic pneumothorax resolution prior to discharge, and ipsilateral recurrence rates were compared in patients who did and did not receive perioperative ketorolac. Results Over a 50-month period, 51 patients underwent VATS with mechanical pleurodesis for spontaneous pneumothorax. The average age was 15.5years, and 76% were male. Ketorolac was administered to 26/51 patients. There were no differences in average length of stay (11.3 vs 10.9days, p=0.36), incidence of residual pneumothorax at discharge (22/41 vs 19/41, p=0.48), or ipsilateral recurrence (5/10 vs 5/10, p=1). Conclusions Despite the intrinsic antiinflammatory properties of ketorolac, our data suggests that its use for patients undergoing pleurodesis for spontaneous pneumothorax does not detrimentally influence the outcomes of surgery. Therefore, we conclude that ketorolac can be used for pain control in this population. Large-scale studies are warranted to validate these findings.

The purpose of this study was to compare the results of thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) and parecoxib in controlling postoperative pain after the Nuss procedure.Between August 2005 and July 2014, 120 adolescents and adults underwent Nuss procedures and received either TEA or parecoxib for postoperative pain control. Demographic data, preoperative preparation times, visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores from postoperative day 1 to day 5, medical costs of pain control, days to Foley catheter removal, days to being able to sit up, days to being able to walk, days of hospital stay, nausea/vomiting scores, and complications related to pain control were compared.A total of 106 patients received TEA, and 14 received parecoxib. No between-group differences in demographics were observed. Patients in the parecoxib group had shorter preparation times (p0.001), lower VAS pain scores from postoperative day 2 to day 5 (day 2, p=0.006; day 3, p=0.006; day 4, p0.001; day 5, p0.001), shorter hospital stays (p0.001), lower pain control costs (p0.001), and lower nausea/vomiting scores (p=0.046).For adolescents and adults undergoing the Nuss procedure, parecoxib affords better pain control efficacy, a shorter hospital stay, lower medical pain control costs, and fewer side effects compared with TEA.

We examined the effectiveness of a postoperative ruptured appendicitis protocol that eliminated Pseudomonas coverage and based the duration of IV antibiotic treatment and length of hospital stay on the patient's clinical response.In our new protocol, IV antibiotics were administered until the patient met discharge criteria: adequate oral intake, pain control with oral medications, and afebrile for 24h. We collected data on all patients with ruptured appendicitis at our institution following protocol implementation (May 1, 2012, to April 30, 2013) and compared them to a control group.306 patients were treated (154 prior protocol, 152 new protocol). The new clinical response-based protocol led to a decrease in hospital stay from 134h (SD 66.1) to 94.5h (SD 61.7) (p0.001) and total cost of care per patient also decreased from $13,610 (SD $6859) to $9870 (SD $5670) (p0.001).Our clinical response-based protocol for pediatric patients with ruptured appendicitis decreased LOS, cost, and IV antibiotics use without significant changes in adverse events.

Background: Endosurgery is difficult for the senior pediatric surgeon to master because the technique has a steep learning curve, lacks tactile sense, uses elongated instruments, and is ergonomically tiring. Methods: The senior author, starting at age 53, has performed more than 300 endoscopic procedures at both children and community hospitals. A full year was required to master laparoscopic Nissen fundoplications. Conversion to open procedures from bleeding and enterotomies were committed in the first year of endosurgery. Facility with endosurgery is gained by performing common and frequent procedures as appendectomies. Conclusion: The advantages of endosurgery in pain control and shortened hospitalization make the technique deserving of commitment by the senior pediatric surgeon. J Pediatr Surg 36:690-692. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company.