New pain combo could cut opioid use after cancer surgery
NCT ID NCT07263165
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether adding dexmedetomidine to the standard numbing drug bupivacaine in a specific nerve block can reduce opioid painkiller use and pain intensity after upper abdominal cancer surgery. About 54 adults aged 18-70 scheduled for surgeries like gastrectomy or hepatectomy will be randomly assigned to receive either the combination or bupivacaine alone. The main goal is to see if the combo lowers total opioid consumption in the first 24 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
- dexmedetomidine added to bupivacaine
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer better pain control and less reliance on opioids after upper abdominal cancer surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with only 54 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The added drug could also cause side effects like low blood pressure or slow heart rate.
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 54 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Dec 2025
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 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 to 70 years
- 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: * Patients aged 18-70 years scheduled for elective upper abdominal cancer surgery (e.g., gastrectomy, hepatectomy, pancreatectomy). * American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-III. * Body mass index (BMI) between 18-35 kg/m². Exclusion Criteria: * Patient refusal. * Allergy to local anesthetics or dexmedetomidine. * Coagulopathy (INR \>1.5, platelet count \<100,000/mm³). * Infection at the injection site. * Severe cardiopulmonary, renal, or hepatic dysfunction. * Chronic opioid use (\>30 mg morphine equivalents daily for \>3 months). * Pregnancy or lactation.
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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 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.
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