Chest tube painkiller: a new way to ease surgery recovery?

NCT ID NCT00210132

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: Institut Bergonié Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether a numbing medicine called ropivacaine, given through a chest tube, can reduce severe pain after lung cancer surgery. 90 adults having a thoracotomy (chest opening) for cancer received either ropivacaine or a saltwater placebo every 6 hours for 2 days. The main goal was to see if fewer people had major pain when moving after surgery.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: Ropivacaine
What this could lead to: If it works, this could offer a simpler, safer way to control pain after chest surgery, reducing the need for strong opioids.
What could go wrong: This is a small, completed phase 2 trial, so results are not definitive. Intrapleural pain relief has shown mixed results in the past, and the drug may not work better than a placebo.

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

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

cancer neoplasm Pain, Postoperative

As listed by the trial registrant

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

CANCER POSTOPERATIVE PAIN

Contacts and locations

Locations

Institut Bergonié - Centre Régional de Luttre Contre le Cancer de Bordeaux et du Sud Ouest

Bordeaux, 33076, France

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