Can common anti-inflammatories replace opioids for post-surgery pain?
NCT ID NCT07500454
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 10, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This small pilot study tested whether two NSAIDs (ketorolac and diclofenac) work as well as a weak opioid (tramadol) for pain after minimally invasive surgery. Thirty adults received a single dose of one of the three drugs before surgery, and their pain levels were tracked afterward. The goal is to see if safer, non-opioid options can effectively manage acute postoperative pain.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- tramadol, ketorolac, diclofenac
- What this could lead to
- If NSAIDs work as well as tramadol, doctors may use them more often for post-surgery pain, reducing reliance on opioids and their side effects.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study with only 30 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. It also only tested single doses before surgery, not long-term use.
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
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30 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jun 2024
- Finished
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Jul 2024
- Lead sponsor
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A government agency
The lead sponsor is a government body.
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 55 years
- Sex
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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: * Age 18-55 years * ASA physical status I or II * Body mass index 18.5-34.99 kg/m² * Scheduled for elective minimally invasive surgery under balanced general anaesthesia * Pre-surgical pain NRS = 0 and VRS = "absence" at baseline assessment Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy * Known hypersensitivity to any study drug (tramadol, ketorolac, or diclofenac) * Pre-existing acute pain with NRS ≥ 4 or VRS ≥ "moderate" before surgery * Chronic pain with current analgesic use * Withdrawal of consent before premedication administration * Surgical duration exceeding 180 minutes * Conversion from laparoscopic to open surgical approach * Hypersensitivity reaction during study drug administration * Haemodynamic shock of any aetiology during the perioperative period * Requirement for postoperative mechanical ventilation due to anaesthetic-surgical complications
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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
-
Hospital Regional "General Ignacio Zaragoza," ISSSTE
Mexico City, Mexico City, 09360, Mexico
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