Personalized opioid-sparing pain care for children after major spine or heart surgery
Official title: Implementing and Personalizing Best-In-Class Opioid-sparing Pain Management for Major Inpatient Surgeries in Children
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11184432 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program offers personalized, methadone-centered pain plans to help children recover from spinal fusion or cardiac surgery while using fewer opioids.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | September 5, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $3,315,439 |
| NIH project number | 5U01HD116257-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11184432 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and adolescents undergoing inpatient posterior spinal fusion for scoliosis or major cardiac surgery at participating hospitals are the intended candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Children having minor outpatient procedures, those not treated at participating centers, or those unable to receive methadone/oxycodone for medical reasons are unlikely to benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If your child is having posterior spine fusion for scoliosis or major cardiac surgery, this multicenter program uses a standardized enhanced recovery (ERAS) plan centered on multidose methadone and other opioid-sparing approaches to control pain during and after the hospital stay. The team will also create personalized ERAS plans that include precision methadone and oxycodone dosing based on clinical and patient-specific factors. The overall goal is to provide strong immediate pain relief while reducing opioid side effects like breathing problems, sedation, and nausea and lowering the chance of long-term opioid use and chronic post-surgical pain. Care and monitoring happen in the hospital and continue after discharge to track recovery and opioid prescriptions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could reduce opioid use and opioid-related side effects, shorten recovery, and lower the risk of chronic post-surgical pain and persistent opioid use in children.
How similar studies have gone: Prior single-center and adult studies of methadone-based ERAS have shown reduced opioid needs and improved pain control, but precision dosing and multicenter pediatric implementation are newer.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sadhasivam, Senthilkumar — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Sadhasivam, Senthilkumar
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.