Tylenol showdown: pill or IV after back surgery?
NCT ID NCT07203079
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study will test whether taking acetaminophen (Tylenol) by mouth works as well as getting it through an IV for pain after lumbar spine fusion surgery. About 180 adults will be randomly assigned to receive either oral or IV acetaminophen for 48 hours after their operation. The goal is to see if the simpler oral route can provide similar pain relief and help people recover faster.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- What this could lead to
- If oral acetaminophen works as well as IV, patients could avoid an IV line for pain relief after spine surgery, simplifying recovery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial (180 people) comparing two forms of a common drug. The results may not apply to other surgeries or pain types.
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
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 180 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jan 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- 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: * Plan for open lumbar laminectomy and fusion surgery (1-3 levels) * Able to provide written informed consent * Must be able to swallow pills Exclusion Criteria: * Medical contraindications to acetaminophen * Emergency surgery * Chronic pain unrelated to surgery * Pregnancy
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Stanford University
Stanford, California, 94305, United States
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