Xanax before eye surgery: a calmer experience?
NCT ID NCT06826417
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at whether taking Xanax (a mild anti-anxiety medication) 30 minutes before cataract surgery can reduce pain and anxiety and improve satisfaction with the anesthesia. Researchers will compare Xanax to a placebo in 400 adults having cataract surgery at National Taiwan University Hospital. Participants will fill out anxiety questionnaires before and after the pill, and rate their pain and satisfaction 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
- Xanax (alprazolam)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show that giving a mild anti-anxiety pill before cataract surgery makes the experience less stressful and more comfortable for patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study focused on measuring anxiety and satisfaction, not on curing or changing the disease. The results may not apply to all patients or settings.
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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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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About 400 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2024
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
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 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age between 18 and 80 years old. 2. Patients diagnosed with cataracts. 3. Scheduled for cataract surgery with phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation under surface anesthesia at National Taiwan University Hospital. 4. No adverse reactions to oral anti-anxiety medication (XANAX). Exclusion Criteria: 1. Presence of any contraindications for surgery before the procedure. 2. Presence of any contraindications for medication before the procedure. 3. Inability to provide clear and complete answers to relevant questionnaires, or expression of no preoperative anxiety during the outpatient visit, or scores below 21 on the STAI-S or STAI-T assessment. 4. Regular use of anti-anxiety medications, sleeping pills, or analgesics before the procedure. 5. Pregnancy or breastfeeding during the preoperative period. 6. Severe corneal diseases, overripe cataracts, small pupils, or lens dislocation leading to difficulties in conventional surgery. 7. Patients under surface anesthesia who cannot fully cooperate with the surgical procedure. 8. Pregnant or uncertain pregnancy status (women under 55 years old to be verbally asked by research team members).
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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
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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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National Taiwan University Hospital
RECRUITINGTaipei, Taiwan, 100, Taiwan
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- One operation for cataract and glaucoma? eye surgeons test a Two-in-One approach
- Tiny corneal pockets tested as Suture-Free seal for cataract incisions
- Eye drops may shield the cornea after cataract surgery
- Can cataract surgery reduce fear of falling in older adults?