Nerve blocks may slash opioid use after heart surgery
NCT ID NCT07692659
First seen Jul 09, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This trial compares two ultrasound-guided nerve-block techniques for controlling pain during and after heart surgery. One method uses parasternal and rectus sheath blocks; the other uses an erector spinae plane block. The goal is to see which provides better pain relief and reduces the need for opioids, potentially leading to faster recovery. The study includes adults with moderate to high surgical risk (ASA III–IV) and excludes those with certain heart, blood, or liver conditions.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- nerve block (parasternal/rectus sheath block or erector spinae plane block)
- What this could lead to
- If one method proves better, it could become the standard for pain control after heart surgery, reducing opioid side effects and speeding recovery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study (50 people) comparing two techniques, so results may not apply to all patients. Nerve blocks carry risks like bleeding or infection.
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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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jul 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 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 80 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: * Both sexes, * ASA III-IV patients * body mass index between 20- 35 kg/m2 * adult patients above 18 years old will be included in the study Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with global hypokinesia * ejection fraction \< 40% * low platelet count * coagulation impairment * deformity in the vertebral column * severe renal and hepatic impairment * any known allergy to the drugs used
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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 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.
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