Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Could local anesthesia replace general for back surgery?

NCT ID NCT04992572

Symptom relief Sponsor: Stanford University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether local anesthesia with sedation works as well as general anesthesia for 1-3 level lumbar decompression surgery. Researchers will measure changes in pain and disability in 100 adults aged 40-95. The goal is to find a safer, effective alternative to general anesthesia.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Propofol and Lidocaine
What this could lead to
If successful, this could show that local anesthesia is a safe and effective alternative to general anesthesia for certain back surgeries, potentially reducing recovery time and side effects.
What could go wrong
This is a very early-phase trial with only 100 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Local anesthesia may not provide enough pain control for all patients.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Early phase 1

The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.

Participants

About 100 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Dec 2021

Expected to finish

Dec 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

40 to 95 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: Patients with lumbar stenosis to be decompressed over 1-3 segments * Ages 40-95 * Appropriate for general anesthesia Exclusion Criteria: * Planned significant nerve root retraction * Previous fusion operation * Unable to comply with follow up * Patients with daily morphine equivalents or more 100mg * Patients with a known hypersensitivity to propofol or any of DIPRIVAN Injectable Emulsion components. * Patients with allergies to eggs, egg products, soybeans or soy products.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Lumbar spinal stenosis are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

lumbar spinal stenosis spinal stenosis

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Lumbar spinal stenosis

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Outpatient Surgery Center/Stanford Spine Clinic

    RECRUITING

    Redwood City, California, 94063, United States

  • Stanford Outpatient surgery center

    RECRUITING

    Redwood City, California, 94608, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.