Can a less invasive nerve block match the gold standard for chest surgery pain?
NCT ID NCT07763249
First seen Aug 13, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether a paravertebral block—a numbing medicine delivered near the spine—can control pain after open chest surgery just as well as the standard epidural block. Adults having elective thoracotomy will be randomly assigned to one of the two blocks, and their pain scores will be tracked for 48 hours. The goal is to see if the paravertebral approach offers comparable relief with potentially fewer side effects like drops in blood pressure.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Continuous thoracic paravertebral block (a numbing medicine delivered through a small tube near the spine) compared with continuous thoracic epidural block (a similar tube placed deeper in the back).
- What this could lead to
- If the paravertebral block works as well as the epidural, it could become a preferred option for chest surgery pain—possibly with less impact on blood pressure and easier movement after surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage comparison, and the paravertebral block might not match the epidural's pain relief. There are also risks like infection, bleeding, or nerve damage with any block.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
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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Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA)
Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul (RS), 90410-000, Brazil
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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