New study aims to cut opioid use in transgender surgery recovery
NCT ID NCT04979338
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study compares different nerve block techniques to manage pain after gender-affirming surgery in transgender adults. The goal is to find which method reduces pain and opioid use while minimizing side effects like nausea and urinary problems. Researchers will track pain levels, opioid consumption, and recovery quality in 640 participants.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- bupivacaine with epinephrine (nerve blocks)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could establish a standard for safer, more effective pain control after gender-affirming surgeries, reducing opioid use and side effects.
- What could go wrong
- This is a Phase 3 trial, but it compares existing techniques, so no new drug is being tested. Results may not apply to all surgery types or hospitals.
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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Phase 3
Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.
- Participants
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About 640 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2021
- Expected to finish
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Sep 2026
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 years and older
- 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: * Transgender persons 18 years and older * Undergoing gender affirming surgeries performed by either Dr. Maurice Garcia (orchiectomy only, vaginoplasty with or without canal \& orchiectomy, colon-vaginoplasty, \& peritoneal vaginoplasty; Stage I phalloplasty, or stage II phalloplasty); Dr. Edward Ray (feminizing chest surgery, masculinizing chest surgery, stage I phalloplasty); Dr. Amit Gupta (orchiectomy and peritoneal vaginoplasty only); or Dr. Yosef Nasseri (colon vaginoplasty surgery) Exclusion Criteria: * Patients who do not meet the inclusion criteria above * Any contraindications to the study drugs. * Patients with neurologic deficits that preclude them from sensing pain. * Patients with implanted pain neuromodulator devices (e.g., neurostimulator) * Patients who do not speak English
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Get notified about this 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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Cedars-Sinai Medical Center - North and South Towers
RECRUITINGLos Angeles, California, 90048, United States
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