Nerve block after C-Section may speed healing and lower stress
NCT ID NCT05840406
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looked at whether adding a TAP block (a type of nerve block) to standard pain relief after a cesarean section could improve wound healing and reduce stress on the body. 105 women having planned C-sections were randomly assigned to receive either standard pain medication alone, or standard medication plus a TAP block with levobupivacaine, or a TAP block with levobupivacaine and dexmedetomidine. Researchers measured wound healing, stress hormones, and immune markers in the days 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
- levobupivacaine and dexmedetomidine
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could lead to better pain control and faster wound healing after cesarean delivery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with no phase designation, so results may not apply broadly. The benefits over standard pain management may be modest.
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
-
105 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2024
- Finished
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Mar 2025
- 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
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Female participants only
- 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 scheduled for the elective cesarean section through Pfannenstiel incision under spinal anesthesia * Age \>18 * American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status II * Body mass index \< 40 mg/kg² * \>35 gestational weeks Exclusion Criteria: * participant's refusal to participate in the study * ASA physical status \>II * emergency cesarean section * twin or triplets pregnancy * history of allergy to the local anesthetic or any other drug used in this study (dexmedetomidine, acetaminophen, tramadol, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) * contraindications for spinal anesthesia or TAP block Drop out from the study: * the change in anesthetic technique from spinal to the general anesthesia * the need for the blood transfusion * acute mastitis, puerperal endometritis, and/or wound infection developed in the first 72 hours postoperatively * failed TAP block
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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
-
University Hospital Center Sestre milosrdnice
Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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