Sensory mapping and early pain relief after ultrasound-guided interfascial plane blocks in living liver donors

Assessment of Sensory Block Distribution and Postoperative Analgesia Following Ultrasound-Guided Interfascial Plane Blocks in Living Liver Donors: A Prospective Observational Study

We will map which skin areas become numb and record pain and pain medicine use in adult living liver donors who receive ultrasound-guided interfascial plane blocks to see if the blocks cover the surgery area and help with pain in the first 24 hours.

Quick facts

• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 20 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years to 65 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Bahçeşehir University (Academic / other)
• Locations: 1 site (Istanbul)
• Trial ID: NCT07252063 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This is a prospective observational study of adult living liver donors who receive the institution's standard ultrasound-guided interfascial plane blocks as part of postoperative care. Consenting donors undergo cutaneous sensory mapping in the post-anesthesia care unit about two hours after surgery to document dermatomal coverage. Pain intensity scores and analgesic consumption, including patient-controlled analgesia data, are recorded over the first 24 postoperative hours. The study aims to provide objective data on the distribution of sensory blockade and the early analgesic performance of these blocks in the donor hepatectomy population.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adult (18–65 years) living liver donors with ASA physical status I–II who receive interfascial plane blocks and can cooperate with postoperative sensory mapping are ideal candidates.

Not a fit: Patients with prior major abdominal surgery, surgical wounds preventing reliable sensory testing, ASA > II, those who do not receive the block, or those unable to cooperate are unlikely to benefit from the study's findings.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the results could help clinicians target blocks more accurately and improve early pain control for living liver donors.

How similar studies have performed: Interfascial plane blocks are increasingly used for abdominal surgery and small or anecdotal reports suggest analgesic benefit, but systematic dermatomal mapping in living liver donors is largely novel.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Adult living liver donors undergoing elective donor hepatectomy

Age 18 to 65 years

ASA physical status I-II

Patients who have received ultrasound-guided interfascial plane blocks as part of their postoperative analgesia

Ability to cooperate with postoperative sensory mapping procedures

Patients who agree to participate and provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients who refuse to participate or do not provide written informed consent

Patients who have not received any ultrasound-guided interfascial plane block

ASA physical status \> II

Presence of surgical incisions or wound complications preventing reliable sensory mapping

Prior major abdominal surgery that may alter cutaneous innervation patterns

Cognitive impairment limiting the ability to cooperate with sensory testing

Known psychiatric disorders (e.g., major depression, mania, schizophrenia) that may interfere with postoperative assessment

Local infection, skin disease, or dermatologic condition preventing accurate cutaneous mapping

Allergy or contraindication to local anesthetics used in the block

Where this trial is running

Istanbul

• Bahcesehir Unişversity Medicalpark Goztepe hospital — Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye) (Recruiting)

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Selma Kahyaoglu

Conditions Pain