Thoracic Epidural Analgesia or Four-Quadrant Transversus Abdominus Plane Block in Reducing Pain in Patients Undergoing Liver Surgery

NCT ID: NCT03214510

Last Updated: 2025-09-05

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

PHASE3

Total Enrollment

96 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2017-10-04

Study Completion Date

2026-07-31

Brief Summary

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This phase III trial studies how well thoracic epidural analgesia or four-quadrant transversus abdominus plane block works in reducing pain in patients undergoing liver surgery. It is not yet known whether thoracic epidural analgesia or four-quadrant transversus abdominus plane block may help people to recover more completely and more quickly after surgery.

Detailed Description

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PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To compare length of hospital stay between patients treated with thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) versus (vs.) pre-incision ultrasound-guided, four-quadrant transversus abdominus plane (TAP) block after open liver resection within an enhanced recovery program.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To compare the area under the curve of early (0-48 hour) post-operative pain scores and number of patients who experience severe postoperative pain between the TEA and TAP groups.

II. To compare anesthetic-related complication rates and need to change modalities between TEA and TAP groups.

III. To compare surgery-related complications (including 30-day readmission and 90-day mortality rates) between TEA and TAP groups.

IV. To compare return to baseline symptom burden, functional and cognitive status between TEA and TAP groups.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized into 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Patients undergo placement of thoracic epidural catheter before surgery. Patients receive hydromorphone hydrochloride and bupivacaine via thoracic epidural catheter every 10 minutes or 3 hours as needed. Patients may receive fentanyl and bupivacaine or plain bupivacaine via thoracic epidural catheter.

ARM II: Patients undergo placement of ultrasound-guided, four-quadrant transversus abdominus plane block. Patients receive plain bupivacaine and liposomal bupivacaine via TAP block.

Conditions

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Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct Disorder

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Arm I (TAE)

Patients undergo placement of thoracic epidural catheter before surgery. Patients receive hydromorphone hydrochloride and bupivacaine via thoracic epidural catheter every 10 minutes or 3 hours as needed. Patients may receive fentanyl and bupivacaine or plain bupivacaine via thoracic epidural catheter.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Bupivacaine

Intervention Type DRUG

Given via thoracic epidural catheter or TAP block

Fentanyl

Intervention Type DRUG

Given via thoracic epidural catheter

Hydromorphone Hydrochloride

Intervention Type DRUG

Given via thoracic epidural catheter

Implanted Medical Device

Intervention Type DEVICE

Undergo placement of thoracic epidural catheter

Questionnaire

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Ancillary studies

Arm II (TAP)

Patients undergo placement of ultrasound-guided, four-quadrant transversus abdominus plane block. Patients receive plain bupivacaine and liposomal bupivacaine via TAP block.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Bupivacaine

Intervention Type DRUG

Given via thoracic epidural catheter or TAP block

Implanted Medical Device

Intervention Type DEVICE

Undergo placement of ultrasound-guided, four-quadrant transversus abdominus plane block

Liposomal Bupivacaine

Intervention Type DRUG

Given via TAP block

Questionnaire

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Ancillary studies

Interventions

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Bupivacaine

Given via thoracic epidural catheter or TAP block

Intervention Type DRUG

Fentanyl

Given via thoracic epidural catheter

Intervention Type DRUG

Hydromorphone Hydrochloride

Given via thoracic epidural catheter

Intervention Type DRUG

Implanted Medical Device

Undergo placement of thoracic epidural catheter

Intervention Type DEVICE

Implanted Medical Device

Undergo placement of ultrasound-guided, four-quadrant transversus abdominus plane block

Intervention Type DEVICE

Liposomal Bupivacaine

Given via TAP block

Intervention Type DRUG

Questionnaire

Ancillary studies

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

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AH 250 Abstral Duragesic Dilaudid Dilaudid HP Dimorphone Exalgo Hydromorphone Hydrostat Hymorphan Laudicon Novolauden IMPLANTED IMPLANTED Bupivacaine Liposome Injectable Suspension Exparel Questionnaires

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Patients undergoing open liver resection without bowel resection/anastomosis for malignancy at MD Anderson Cancer Center
* Patients must sign a study-specific consent form
* Platelets \>= 100,000/ml (within 30 days of surgery)
* International normalized ratio (INR) =\< 1.5 (within 30 days of surgery)
* Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) =\< 40 (within 30 days of surgery)
* Patients must have no fever or evidence of infection or other coexisting medical condition that would preclude epidural placement

Exclusion Criteria

* Evidence of severe uncontrolled systemic disease or other comorbidity that precludes liver surgery
* History of chronic narcotic use, defined as 30 days or more of preoperative daily narcotic use, measured from the date of surgery
* Anaphylaxis to local anesthetics or narcotics
* Previous or current neurologic disease affecting the lower hemithorax or below
* Major open abdominal/thoracic surgery in the previous 30 days under general anesthesia
* Technical contraindications to epidural placement: previous thoracic spinal surgery or local skin or soft tissue infection at proposed site for epidural insertion
* Use of therapeutic anticoagulation within 5 days of surgery (not including venous thromboembolism prophylaxis)
* Known bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy
* Psychiatric (untreated or poorly controlled schizophrenia, major depression, or bipolar disorder), or communication (language) barrier that would preclude accurate assessment of postoperative pain and/or ability to answer questionnaires (need to be able to read, comprehend, and answer questions)
* Inability to comply with study and/or follow-up procedures
* Patient refusal to participate in randomization
* Pregnant women are excluded from this study; women of childbearing potential (defined as those who have not undergone defined as those who have not undergone a hysterectomy or who have not been postmenopausal for at least 12 consecutive months) must agree to practice adequate contraception and to refrain from breast-feeding, as specified in the informed consent
* Patients with obvious unresectable disease prior to signing informed consent
* Patients with previous ventral hernia repair, cosmetic abdominoplasty or anterior abdominal wall reconstruction
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Cancer Institute (NCI)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Timothy E. Newhook, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Locations

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M D Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, Texas, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Facility Contacts

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Timothy E. Newhook

Role: primary

713-792-6940

Related Links

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http://www.mdanderson.org

MD Anderson Cancer Center

Other Identifiers

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NCI-2018-01124

Identifier Type: REGISTRY

Identifier Source: secondary_id

2016-1111

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

2016-1111

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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