C-Section pain pump put to the test: could it cut opioid need?

NCT ID NCT05131178

First seen Feb 06, 2026 · Last updated Jun 19, 2026 · Updated 15 times

Summary

This study looks at whether a continuous pain pump delivering bupivacaine (a numbing medicine) after a C-section reduces the need for stronger opioid painkillers compared to a placebo pump with salt water. One hundred pregnant women having C-sections will be randomly assigned to receive either the active drug or placebo through the pump for up to four days. The goal is to see if the bupivacaine pump alone is responsible for lower opioid use, helping improve recovery after surgery.

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This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Contacts and locations

Study contacts

  • Contact

    Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

  • Contact

    Email: •••••@•••••

Locations

  • Children's Hospital Colorado

    RECRUITING

    Aurora, Colorado, 80011, United States

    Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

What this could mean

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

Active substance

bupivacaine

What this could lead to

If it works, this could confirm that the bupivacaine pump is what reduces opioid use after C-sections, helping guide standard pain management.

What could go wrong

This is a small, early-stage trial with only 100 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. The placebo group also gets standard care, so the difference might be small.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Pain, Postoperative

As listed by the trial registrant

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