Nerve block before or after surgery: which timing better blocks pain?
NCT ID NCT07809009
First seen Sep 09, 2026 · Last updated Sep 10, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers compare two timings for a nerve block given during laparoscopic gallbladder removal. One group receives the block before the surgical cut, the other after the wound is closed. Both groups get the same drug, ropivacaine, injected into the abdominal wall. The trial measures pain signals during surgery and pain scores, painkiller use, and complications afterward to see which timing works better.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ropivacaine nerve block (transversus abdominis plane block)
- What this could lead to
- If the earlier block works better, it could give surgeons a simple way to reduce pain during and after gallbladder surgery. That might mean less opioid painkiller needed afterward.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small study in one type of surgery, so the results may not apply to other operations or patients. Nerve blocks carry small risks like bleeding or infection, and pain relief may not differ much between the two timings.
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 120 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 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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19 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: * Patients scheduled to undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy. * Aged 19 years or older. * American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I, II, or III. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients who lack the capacity to understand the study examinations or perform the assessment procedures. * Patients with coagulation deficiencies or bleeding disorders. * Patients with cardiac arrhythmias or those with an implanted cardiac pacemaker. * Patients taking medications that affect the autonomic nervous system, including beta-blockers and opioid analgesics. * Patients with surgical scars, active lesions, or anatomical abnormalities at the block site. * Patients with pre-existing neurological deficits or impairment at the block site. * Patients with a known history of allergic reactions or hypersensitivity to ropivacaine or other local anesthetics. * Pregnant or lactating individuals.
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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
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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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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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a triage checklist ease pain months after emergency surgery?
- Can a nerve block quiet the brain during gallbladder surgery?