Intertransverse process block to improve recovery and cut long-term pain after open-heart surgery
Official title: Intertransverse Process Block to Improve Quality of Recovery and Pain Management in Adult Cardiac Surgical Patients: a Prospective Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial
Run by Chinese University of Hong Kong · NCT06946290 · Data updated 2026-11-12
We will test whether giving an intertransverse process block during elective open-heart (CABG or valve) surgery helps adults recover better after surgery and reduces the chance of long-term post-surgery pain.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 96 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Chinese University of Hong Kong Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Hong Kong) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 2, 2026 |
| Main results expected | January 2, 2027 |
| Study ends | January 2, 2028 |
| Registry record updated | March 18, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06946290 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults aged 18 or older scheduled for elective CABG, valve repair/replacement, or combined CABG/valve surgery via sternotomy who do not have preexisting chronic pain or chronic opioid use are the intended participants.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients having emergency or redo operations, those with preexisting chronic pain or chronic opioid/sedative use, severe renal failure (eGFR ≤30 ml/min), or who require intraoperative remifentanil are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This randomized interventional trial assigns adults having elective coronary artery bypass grafting or valve repair/replacement via sternotomy to receive either an intertransverse process block (ITPB) or a sham block. Researchers will track immediate postoperative pain control and quality of recovery, and then follow patients for persistent pain at 3, 6, and 12 months. Patients with prior chronic pain, chronic opioid use, emergency or redo surgery, severe renal failure, or intraoperative remifentanil are excluded. The main goal is to determine whether blocking nociceptive input around the transverse processes reduces acute pain and prevents central sensitization that can lead to chronic postsurgical pain.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the block could lower immediate postoperative pain, speed recovery, and reduce the incidence of chronic postsurgical pain after cardiac surgery.
How similar studies have gone: Related regional techniques such as erector spinae and paravertebral blocks have shown promise for reducing postoperative pain after thoracic procedures, but ITPB specifically remains less well studied for preventing chronic postsurgical pain.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * adult patients aged 18 or older * undergoing elective CABG, valve repair/replacement, or combined CABG/valve procedure via sternotomy Exclusion Criteria: * Emergency surgery * redo surgery * history of chronic pain or being on chronic opioids/sedatives * renal failure with an estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤30 ml/min (calculated by Cockcroft-Gault formula) * re-operation within 24 hours after surgery * intraoperative use of remifentanil * inability to provide informed consent.
Where it's running
-
Prince of Wales Hospital
Hong Kong, Hong Kong Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Henry Wong — Hospital Authority
- Study coordinator: Zion Yeung
- Email: yhosum928@gmail.com
- Phone: +85295782790
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Phenotype-based pain management for chronic post-treatment pain after head and neck cancer
We’re testing a personalized pain plan to see if tailoring treatment to a patient’s pain type can reduce chronic pain in adults who completed head and neck cancer treatment.
-
Postoperative Pain Trajectories After Endometriosis Surgery
This study tests how pain changes after endometriosis surgery and whether perioperative pain testing can predict who will have ongoing pain.
-
Prevention of chronic postsurgical pain in people who regularly use opioids
This trial tests whether adding a telemedicine post-surgery consult between days 15 and 28 helps reduce long-term pain and opioid use in adults on chronic opioids undergoing elective surgery.
-
Oliceridine PCIA for Postoperative Pain After VATS Lung Resection
This trial tests whether oliceridine given through patient-controlled IV analgesia reduces the risk of chronic pain after lung surgery done with video-assisted techniques, compared with sufentanil.
-
Whether intense pain before emergency surgery leads to long-term pain after the operation
We will test whether people having emergency abdominal or orthopedic surgery who have strong pain before the operation are more likely to have ongoing pain three months afterward.
-
Esketamine dose levels combined with dexmedetomidine to reduce pain after scoliosis correction
This study will test whether different doses of esketamine given with dexmedetomidine and opioids can reduce immediate postoperative pain and lower the chance of chronic postsurgical pain in adults having scoliosis correction.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.