Can a numbing wash cut opioid use after breast surgery?

NCT ID NCT03351348

Ongoing Symptom relief Sponsor: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Aug 04, 2026 · Last updated Aug 05, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether adding bupivacaine, a numbing medicine, directly into the surgical wound after a mastectomy can improve pain control and reduce the need for opioid painkillers. Participants receive either bupivacaine or a placebo through a drain placed in the wound, along with standard pain medications. The study tracks pain scores right after surgery and checks for chronic pain at 6 months and 1 year. If successful, this simple addition could make recovery more comfortable and lower opioid use.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: bupivacaine (a numbing medicine) placed into the surgical wound after mastectomy
What this could lead to: If effective, this approach could offer better immediate pain relief after mastectomy and reduce the need for opioid painkillers, potentially lowering the risk of opioid-related side effects and dependence.
What could go wrong: The trial is relatively small and focuses on short-term outcomes; results may not apply to all patients or surgeries. Bupivacaine is generally safe but can cause side effects like numbness, dizziness, or rare allergic reactions.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

breast cancer breast neoplasm

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

BREAST CANCER

Contacts and locations

Locations

Memorial Sloan Kettering Basking Ridge (Consent and follow-up only)

Basking Ridge, New Jersey, 07920, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen (Consent and follow-up only)

Montvale, New Jersey, 07645, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

New York, New York, 10065, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Commack (Consent and follow-up only)

Commack, New York, 11725, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth (All Protocol Activities)

Middletown, New Jersey, 07748, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau (Consent and follow-up only)

Uniondale, New York, 11553, United States
Memorial Sloan Kettering Westchester (Consent and follow-up only)

East White Plains, New York, 10604, United States

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