New nerve block could cut opioid use after gallbladder removal
NCT ID NCT07332546
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jul 08, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study tests whether a specific nerve block, called an external oblique intercostal block, can reduce pain and the need for opioid painkillers after laparoscopic gallbladder removal. Fifty-six adults scheduled for this surgery will be randomly assigned to receive either the nerve block or standard care. The main goal is to see if the block lowers opioid use 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
- external oblique intercostal block with ropivacaine
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a better way to manage pain after gallbladder surgery, reducing the need for strong painkillers.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 56 people. The nerve block may not provide significant pain relief, and there are rare risks like bleeding or infection from the injection.
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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56 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jan 2026
- Finished
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Jun 2026
- 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 85 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.
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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: * Aged 18-85 years, regardless of gender * American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification I-III * Scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy * Ability to use the intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) system Exclusion Criteria: * Hepatic disease (e.g., liver enzyme levels ≥ 2× the upper limit of normal) * Renal disease (e.g., serum creatinine levels ≥ 2× the upper limit of normal) * Allergy or known hypersensitivity to local anesthetics * Females who are pregnant or lactating * Conversion to open surgery * Coagulopathy or current use of anticoagulant medications * Opioid use for more than 2 weeks in the past 6 months
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Tianmen First People's Hospital
Tianmen, Hubei, 431700, China
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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