New study aims to cut opioid use after obesity surgery
NCT ID NCT03756961
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether replacing opioids with a non-opioid drug (dexmedetomidine) and adding person-centred care can improve recovery and reduce opioid use in 220 adults undergoing obesity surgery. Participants are randomly assigned to either the opioid-free approach or standard opioid-based care. The researchers will track pain, recovery, and opioid use for up to 24 months 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 (a non-opioid sedative) and person-centred care
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a safer, opioid-free way to manage pain after obesity surgery, reducing side effects and long-term opioid use.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small, non-blinded study, so results may not apply broadly. The opioid-free approach may not control pain as effectively as standard care.
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
-
About 220 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
May 2019
- Expected to finish
-
Dec 2029
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: -Patients ≥18 years planned to undergo laparoscopic obesity surgery (GBP alt Sleeve surgery) at the selected site. Exclusion Criteria: * ASA\> III * Cardiovascular disease with bradycardia (\<50 bpm) * Serious liver disease failure * Insufficient knowledge of the Swedish language * Serious untreated psychiatric disease * Neurocognitive dysfunction * Pregnancy * Women of childbearing age without contraception * Malignant disease with expected short survival * Patients treated with opioids for chronic pain * Substance abuse * Hypersensitivity to Oxycodone, Esketamine, Dexmedetomidine, and Lidocaine * Pacemaker or ICD * Inability to fill in questionnaires * Decline participation,
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Obesity 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
2 sites. 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
-
Lindesberg Hospital
RECRUITINGLindesberg, Region Örebro, 711 82, Sweden
-
Sahlgrenska University hospital/ Östra hopsital
RECRUITINGGothenburg, VG, 41678, Sweden
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Custom knee guides put to the test in obese patients
- A pill for obesity? early human trial puts MDR-001 to the test
- Can a weekly shot help people who still struggle with weight after bariatric surgery?
- Do GLP-1 Weight-Loss drugs change how teens eat and feel?
- Can electrical muscle stimulation boost exercise benefits after menopause?
- Three ways to block hernia surgery pain go head to head