Intraoperative Cryoanalgesia for Extended Pain Management Following Thoracotomy

The ICE Study is a single institution pilot study designed to compare standard therapy (i.e., thoracic epidural) versus a novel approach (i.e., Cryoanalgesia combined with thoracic epidural) to address the need for better management of acute and long‐term pain in the general thoracic surgery patient population. The study's primary objective will be to demonstrate if the new intraoperative pain management approach [i.e., intercostal Cryoanalgesia in conjunction with thoracic epidural] provides superior short‐term and long‐term analgesia efficacy in patients undergoing unilateral thoracotomy as compared to the current institutional standard of care (i.e., thoracic epidural). Patients will be randomized in a 1:1 design.