New nerve block could replace morphine for C-Section pain

NCT ID NCT07712783

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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jul 17, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026

Summary

This trial tests whether a nerve block called a lateral quadratus lumborum block (QLB) can control pain after a C-section as well as the standard treatment, spinal morphine, but with fewer side effects. The study includes women having an elective C-section under spinal anesthesia. Half receive the nerve block and half receive spinal morphine, and their pain and opioid use are compared for 48 hours 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
lateral quadratus lumborum block (QLB) with 0.25% bupivacaine
What this could lead to
If effective, this nerve block could offer a non-opioid option for pain relief after C-section, reducing side effects like nausea and itching.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial, so results may not apply to all patients. The nerve block may not be as effective as morphine for severe pain.

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

About 56 people

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

Expected to start

Jul 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

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

18 to 45 years

Sex

Female participants only

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: * Women aged between 18 and 45 years. * Singleton term pregnancy (≥37 weeks of gestation). * American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status II. * Scheduled to undergo elective cesarean delivery via a Pfannenstiel incision. * Planned to receive spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery. * Provision of written informed consent following a comprehensive explanation of the study. * Sufficient cognitive capacity to understand and complete the study assessment instruments, including the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and the ObsQoR-11T. Exclusion Criteria: * Known allergy or hypersensitivity to any of the study medications, including morphine, bupivacaine, or fentanyl. * Coagulopathy (international normalized ratio \[INR\] \>1.5 or platelet count \<100,000/mm³). * Current treatment with anticoagulant or antiplatelet agents (e.g., heparin, low-molecular-weight heparin, or aspirin \>100 mg/day). * Infection, hematoma, or skin lesion at the planned block insertion site. * Diagnosis of preeclampsia, eclampsia, or HELLP syndrome. * Placenta previa, placenta accreta spectrum, or placental abruption. * Gestational diabetes mellitus or chronic hypertension. * Emergency cesarean delivery indicated because of fetal distress. * Conversion to general anesthesia during cesarean delivery. * History of chronic pain syndrome (e.g., fibromyalgia, lumbar disc herniation, or neuropathic pain). * Regular use of opioids or psychotropic medications within the preceding 3 months. * Diagnosis of epilepsy, severe anxiety disorder, or major depressive disorder. * Obesity (body mass index \>35 kg/m²). * Severe systemic disease, including New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or IV heart failure, hepatic or renal failure, advanced respiratory disease, or obstructive sleep apnea. * Advanced pulmonary disease requiring continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. * Inadequate spinal anesthesia or the requirement for supplemental intraoperative analgesia. * Surgical duration exceeding 120 minutes. * Excessive intraoperative blood loss (≥1,000 mL) or the need for blood transfusion.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Pain, Postoperative

As listed by the trial registrant

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

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. 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

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Ondokuz Mayis University

    Samsun, Turkey (Türkiye)

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