Intertransverse Process Block to Improve Quality of Recovery After Cardiac Surgery With Sternotomy (NCT06926764) | Clinical Trial Compass
Not Yet RecruitingNot Applicable
Intertransverse Process Block to Improve Quality of Recovery After Cardiac Surgery With Sternotomy
100 participantsStarted 2025-11
Plain-language summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy of intertransverse process block (ITPB) in blunting sympathetic response of sternotomy, achieving perioperative opioid-sparing and improving quality of recovery in adult patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery (e.g., coronary artery bypass graft \[CABG\], valve repair/replacement, or combined CABG/valve procedures).
The main questions it aims to answer are:
1. To investigate the efficacy of intertransverse process block (ITPB) on quality of recovery after cardiac surgery
2. To investigate the efficacy of ITPB on the sympathetic response on incision, intraoperative and postoperative morphine requirement
3. To investigate the efficacy of ITPB on surgical outcomes including time to weaning off mechanical ventilation, length of ICU/ hospital stay and incidence of neuropathic pain after surgery Researchers will compare patients receiving bilateral ITPB with levobupivacaine to those receiving sham blocks to determine if ITPB reduces CPSP, improves pain control, and decreases opioid consumption.
Who can participate
Age range
18 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Inclusion Criteria:
* Adult patients aged 18 or older
* undergoing elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), valve repair/replacement, or combined CABG/valve procedure via sternotomy.
Exclusion Criteria:
* Emergency surgery
* redo surgery
* history of thoracotomy or mastectomy
* patients with history of chronic pain
* patients on chronic opioids or sedatives
* renal failure with estimated glomerular filtration rate \<30ml/min (calculated by Cockcroft-Gault formula)
* intraoperative use of remifentanil
* unable to provide informed consent.
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.