Can spine surgery pain be managed without opioids?
NCT ID NCT07787858
First seen Aug 26, 2026 · Last updated Aug 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether an opioid-free anesthesia approach, using dexmedetomidine and ketamine, can control pain after discectomy surgery as effectively as traditional opioid-based anesthesia. About 46 adults undergoing elective lumbar discectomy will be randomly assigned to one of the two anesthesia methods. The study measures pain intensity over 24 hours, along with painkiller use, recovery time, and side effects like nausea or breathing issues. The goal is to see if avoiding opioids can reduce complications while still providing good pain relief.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Opioid-free anesthesia using dexmedetomidine and ketamine, compared with fentanyl-based opioid anesthesia
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could support opioid-free anesthesia as a safer way to manage pain after spine surgery, reducing reliance on opioids and their side effects.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial, so results may not apply broadly. The opioid-free approach might not provide adequate pain relief for all patients, and both methods carry risks like nausea or breathing problems.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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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
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46 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2026
- Finished
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Jul 2026
- Lead sponsor
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A government agency
The lead sponsor is a government body.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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21 to 64 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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' acceptance. * Age : adult patients aged 21-64 years. * Sex : both male and female. * Physical state : Patients classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-II * BMI : \< 35 kg/ m2 * Patients scheduled for elective destectomy surgery under general anesthesia with an Expected duration of ≥ 3 hours. Exclusion Criteria: * Known allergy or contraindication to any study medications (e.g., dexmedetomidine, ketamine, lidocaine, opioids). * History of chronic opioid use or opioid dependence. * Psychiatric or neurological disorders interfering with pain assessment (e.g., cognitive impairment). * Pregnancy or breastfeeding. * Patients on medications that interact significantly with OBA agents (e.g., MAO inhibitors).
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Zagazig University Hospitals
Zagazig, Egypt