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Nerve block may cut opioid needs after epilepsy device surgery

NCT ID NCT07689617

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

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jul 08, 2026 · Last updated Jul 09, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether an ultrasound-guided nerve block (intermediate cervical plexus block) using bupivacaine can reduce pain and the need for opioid painkillers after vagus nerve stimulator implantation. Adults with drug-resistant epilepsy scheduled for this surgery are randomly assigned to receive either the nerve block or a placebo injection. The main goal is to measure total morphine use in the first 24 hours after surgery, along with pain scores and recovery time.

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 effective, this nerve block could become a standard way to manage pain after VNS surgery, reducing reliance on opioids.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial (52 people). The block may not significantly reduce pain or opioid use, and carries risks like bleeding or infection.

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

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

52 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

May 2022

Finished

May 2023

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

18 to 60 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: * Adults aged 18-60 years * American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status II-III * Drug-resistant epilepsy * Scheduled for elective vagus nerve stimulation implantation surgery under general anesthesia * Written informed consent obtained Exclusion Criteria: * Allergy or contraindication to local anesthetics * Coagulopathy or current anticoagulant therapy * Infection at the injection site * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Severe pulmonary disease * Inability to understand or use the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) * Refusal to participate

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Drug Resistant Epilepsy epilepsy Pain, Postoperative

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Drug resistant epilepsy Epilepsy Vagus nerve stimulation

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Fırat University Faculty of Medicine Hospital

    Elâzığ, Elâzığ, 23100, Turkey (Türkiye)

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