One dose of methadone may improve recovery after surgery
NCT ID NCT07565870
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This Phase 3 trial will test whether a single dose of methadone given during surgery can improve pain control and recovery compared to standard short-acting opioids. About 400 adults having intermediate-risk noncardiac surgery will take part. The main goal is to see if patients feel better the day 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
- Methadone (a long-acting opioid painkiller)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple way to reduce post-surgery pain and speed up recovery with fewer opioid-related side effects.
- What could go wrong
- This is a single-dose approach in a specific surgery type, so results may not apply broadly. Methadone carries risks like respiratory depression, and the trial is not yet recruiting.
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
-
Phase 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
-
About 400 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
-
Mar 2027
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 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- 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 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 * Age ≥18 years * Elective intermediate-risk noncardiac surgery under general anesthesia * ASA physical status I-III * Expected hospital stay ≥24 hours * Ability to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria * Severe hepatic dysfunction (Child-Pugh C) * Severe renal impairment (eGFR \<30 mL/min/1.73 m²) * Known allergy to methadone or opioids * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Chronic opioid use or opioid use disorder * Planned use of epidural or regional analgesia * Inability to complete study assessments
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Postoperative pain are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
-
UCI
Irvine, California, 92697, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Two nerve blocks go head to head for chest surgery pain
- Can a Nurse's confidence ease a Patient's postoperative pain?
- Antidepressant may double as pain reliever after gallbladder surgery
- Nerve blocks put to the test for breast surgery pain
- A Non-Opioid pain drug takes aim at Surgery's opioid problem
- Can a nerve block stop pain months after hysterectomy?