Which nerve block cuts opioid use after kidney surgery?

NCT ID NCT07787221

Symptom relief Sponsor: Cairo University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Aug 26, 2026 · Last updated Sep 02, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This trial compares two ultrasound-guided nerve blocks—the quadratus lumborum block and the external oblique plane block—for pain relief after open nephrectomy, a major kidney surgery. Adults aged 18 to 65 undergoing this surgery will be randomly assigned to receive one of the blocks before anesthesia. The main goal is to see which block reduces the need for morphine in the first 24 hours after surgery, with secondary measures including pain scores, recovery time, and patient satisfaction.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block or external oblique plane block, using bupivacaine, to manage postoperative pain.
What this could lead to: If one block proves better, it could become the preferred method for easing pain after kidney surgery, reducing opioid needs and speeding recovery.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-stage comparison, so results may not apply broadly. Both blocks carry rare risks like bleeding or nerve damage, and pain relief may vary.

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 54 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Apr 2026

Expected to finish

May 2027

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 to 65 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.

Show 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:\*\* * Adult patients aged 18 to 65 years. * Patients undergoing open nephrectomy at the National Cancer Institute, Cairo University. * American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status II-III. * Body mass index (BMI) greater than 20 kg/m² and less than 35 kg/m². \*\*Exclusion Criteria:\*\* * Patient refusal to participate. * ASA physical status IV. * Age less than 18 years or greater than 65 years. * BMI less than 20 kg/m² or greater than 35 kg/m². * Known allergy or contraindication to any study medication, including local anesthetics or opioids. * History of psychiatric disorders or chronic pain. * Contraindications to regional anesthesia, including local infection at the injection site, pre-existing neuropathy, or coagulopathy. * Severe organ dysfunction, including cardiac dysfunction (ejection fraction \<40%), respiratory dysfunction (FEV1 \<50% of predicted or requirement for home oxygen therapy), hepatic dysfunction (Child-Pugh class C), or renal dysfunction (estimated glomerular filtration rate \<30 mL/min/1.73 m²).

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Pain, Postoperative

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Postoperative pain

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.

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A doctor treating you

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Which nerve block cuts opioid use after kidney surgery?

What the study statuses mean