ArticleThe Korean journal of pain2026
Is cryoanalgesia superior to thoracic epidural analgesia for postoperative recovery after the nuss procedure? An updated meta-analysis.
Article in The Korean journal of pain, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: The Nuss procedure is commonly used to correct pectus excavatum, with cryoanalgesia (CA) and thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) as pain management options. While a prior meta-analysis showed shorter hospital stays with CA, publication of recent studies warrants a more comprehensive evaluation of outcomes not previously reported. Methods: A literature search identified studies comparing CA and TEA in Nuss procedures. Pooled odds ratios, mean differences (MDs), and standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using RevMan 8.13.0, with a subgroup analysis of randomized and propensity matched studies. Results: Fifteen studies were included, comprising 1,391 patients, of whom 823 (62.4%) received CA. CA was associated with a longer operative duration (MD 29.1 minutes, 95% CI 17.3 to 40.8; Conclusions: Consistent with the prior meta-analysis, the authors' updated meta-analysis indicates that CA is associated with reduced hospital stay. Additionally, their analysis revealed that CA lowers postoperative pain and opioid consumption, however, the increased costs necessitate a cost-benefit evaluation.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.