Could a single dose of ketamine cut opioid use after hemorrhoidectomy?
NCT ID NCT04248205
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether giving ketamine during hemorrhoid surgery can reduce the amount of strong pain pills patients need afterward. About 100 adults with severe hemorrhoids will be randomly assigned to receive either ketamine or a placebo during their operation. Researchers will count how many oxycodone pills each patient uses and measure their pain levels over two weeks.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ketamine
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could give doctors a simple way to reduce opioid use after hemorrhoid surgery, lowering the risk of addiction and side effects.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study. Ketamine may not reduce pain or pill use significantly, and it can cause side effects like hallucinations or nausea.
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 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2020
- Expected to finish
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Jul 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 100 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: * Adults aged 18-100 * Undergoing a hemorrhoidectomy for Grade III or IV hemorrhoids. Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to undergo general anesthesia * Contraindications to hemorrhoidectomy * History of schizophrenia or other hallucinatory psychiatric illnesses * History of psychosis * Chronic narcotic usage defined as either having a pain contract with a pain management specialist and no narcotic usage for one month prior to hemorrhoidectomy.
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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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University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
RECRUITINGOklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73104, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a Suture-Free hemorrhoid operation cut recovery pain?
- Two needle paths, one goal: blocking hemorrhoid surgery pain
- Can a Long-Acting anesthetic ease Post-Surgery pain better than the standard?
- New Chinese-Language questionnaires aim to better measure hemorrhoid suffering
- Could a tiny camera make hemorrhoid surgery less painful?
- Could a common blood pressure drug be the key to pain-free hemorrhoid recovery?