New nerve block could slash opioid use after heart surgery
NCT ID NCT07259824
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether a specific nerve block, called SPSIPB, can reduce pain and the need for strong painkillers after minimally invasive heart surgery. Fifty adults were split into two groups: one got the nerve block plus standard care, the other got standard care alone. Researchers measured total opioid use in the first 24 hours after surgery, along with pain scores and recovery speed.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- bupivacaine
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this nerve block could become a standard way to reduce pain and opioid use after minimally invasive heart surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, single-center study with only 50 participants. The nerve block may not provide significant benefit over standard care, and there are 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
-
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
-
50 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Jan 2026
- Finished
-
Apr 2026
- 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 to 75 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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: * Patients scheduled for elective minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) * Age between 18 and 75 years * American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status II-III * Body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 35 kg/m² * Patients who provide written informed consent for participation Exclusion Criteria: * Known allergy or hypersensitivity to local anesthetics * Coagulopathy or current anticoagulant therapy * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Impaired consciousness or inability to communicate * Failed or technically inadequate block * Refusal to undergo the block procedure * Cognitive or mental disorders preventing valid pain assessment * Opioid intolerance or contraindication to opioid use * Development of intraoperative or postoperative complications requiring reoperation, prolonged mechanical ventilation, or intensive care * Incomplete postoperative data or patient withdrawal from the study
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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
-
Ankara Bilkent City Hospital
Ankara, 06800, Turkey (Türkiye)
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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