Evaluation of the Incidence of Chronic Post-cesarean Pain as Part of an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Protocol.

NCT ID: NCT04919408

Last Updated: 2025-11-20

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

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

283 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-07-12

Study Completion Date

2024-08-01

Brief Summary

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Enhanced Rehabilitation After Surgery (ERAS), developed in the 1990s, is a program encompassing a set of measures before, during and after surgery aimed at improving management by promoting the early recovery of the patient's abilities after surgery.

The ERAS has been scientifically validated and standardized in many surgical disciplines since the implementation of guidelines in France in 2016.

Regarding the obstetrical field, it was not until 2018 that the caesarean section could benefit from ERAS, with the publication of specific guidelines.

Several studies have been able to demonstrate ERAS effectiveness in reducing the length of hospitalization, postoperative complications, the consumption of analgesics immediately after surgery, and the financial cost, including in the context of cesarean sections.

But beyond immediate benefit, the impact of an ERAS protocol on chronic pain has not yet been evaluated.

Chronic pain is defined as physical discomfort that persists for more than 2 months after surgery.

It was not until 2004 that research focused on chronic post-cesarean pain, finding an incidence of chronic pain of 18.6% at 3 months and 12.3% at 6 months. In 2016, another study estimated an incidence of chronic pain in the caesarean scar at 15% at 3 months and 11% at 1 year. The investigators can notice that the presence of chronic post-cesarean pain remained stable over this period.

Several risk factors have been identified, such as the presence of acute pain immediately after surgery, the type of anesthesia, the type of surgical incision or a significant state of anxiety before the operation.

In this context, the investigators wish to assess the rate of chronic post-surgical pain in scheduled cesarean sections (excluding emergencies) under spinal anesthesia as part of a ERAS protocol. The investigatrors will also specify the type of pain and its impact on the daily activities of young mothers and will assess the level of adherence of medical and paramedical teams to the ERAS protocol.

To answer these questions, the investigators will conduct a telephone survey with a questionnaire to assess pain at 3 months and then 6 months after their cesarean section. The pain studied is defined as being the pain at the level of the caesarean scar.

This is an innovative subject evaluating the impact of the implementation of an ERAS protocol on chronic pain. Depending on the results, the investigators will be able to optimize the prevention of chronic pain of cesarean section.

Detailed Description

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Enhanced Rehabilitation After Surgery (ERAS), developed in the 1990s, is a program encompassing a set of measures before, during and after surgery aimed at improving management by promoting the early recovery of the patient's abilities after surgery.

The ERAS has been scientifically validated and is currently standardized in many surgical disciplines since the implementation of guidelines in France in 2016.

Regarding the obstetrical field, it was not until 2018 that the caesarean section could benefit from ERAS, with the publication of specific guidelines.

Several studies have been able to demonstrate ERAS effectiveness in reducing the length of hospitalization, postoperative complications, the consumption of analgesics immediately after surgery, and the financial cost, including in the context of cesarean sections.

But beyond immediate benefit, the impact of an ERAS protocol on chronic pain has not yet been evaluated.

Chronic pain is defined as physical discomfort that persists for more than 2 months after surgery.

It was not until 2004 that research focused on chronic post-cesarean pain, finding an incidence of chronic pain of 18.6% at 3 months and 12.3% at 6 months. In 2016, another study estimated an incidence of chronic pain in the caesarean scar at 15% at 3 months and 11% at 1 year. The investigators can notice that the presence of chronic post-cesarean pain remained stable over this period.

Several risk factors have been identified, such as the presence of acute pain immediately after surgery, the type of anesthesia, the type of surgical incision or a significant state of anxiety before the operation.

In this context, the investigators wish to assess the rate of chronic post-surgical pain in scheduled cesarean sections (excluding emergencies) under spinal anesthesia as part of a ERAS protocol. The investigatrors will also specify the type of pain and its impact on the daily activities of young mothers and will assess the level of adherence of medical and paramedical teams to the ERAS protocol.

To answer these questions, the investigators will conduct a telephone survey with a questionnaire to assess pain at 3 months and then 6 months after their cesarean section. The pain studied is defined as being the pain at the level of the caesarean scar.

This is an innovative subject evaluating the impact of the implementation of an ERAS protocol on chronic pain. Depending on the results, the investigators will be able to optimize the prevention of chronic pain of cesarean section.

Conditions

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Chronic Post-cesarean Pain

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Patients scheduled for cesarean section under spinal anesthesia

Patients scheduled for cesarean section under spinal anesthesia ASA I and II according to The ASA Physical Status Classification System

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

telephone survey

Intervention Type OTHER

telephone survey with a questionnaire to assess pain at 3 months and then 6 months after their cesarean section

Interventions

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telephone survey

telephone survey with a questionnaire to assess pain at 3 months and then 6 months after their cesarean section

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Patients scheduled for cesarean section under spinal anesthesia
* Patients ASA I and II according to The ASA Physical Status Classification System

Exclusion Criteria

intervention under general anesthesia

* complication during the operation
* post-partum haemorrrhage
* pre-op anemia \<9g / dl
* Patient under judicial protection (guardianship, curatorship...) or safeguard of justice.
* Patient unable to answer the questionnaires by telephone (not speaking French, hard of hearing, mute French language, hearing impaired, mute...)
* Any other reason that, in the opinion of the investigator, could interfere with the evaluation of the objectives of the study
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

55 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Toulon La Seyne sur Mer

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Géraldine SLEHOFER-LHERIAU, MD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Anesthesiology department Hôpital Sainte Musse

Locations

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Hôpital Nord

Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Site Status

Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal Toulon La Seyne sur Mer

Toulon, , France

Site Status

Countries

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France

References

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Nikolajsen L, Sorensen HC, Jensen TS, Kehlet H. Chronic pain following Caesarean section. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2004 Jan;48(1):111-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-6576.2004.00271.x.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 14674981 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

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https://www.grace-audit.fr/accueil/index.php

As the anesthesia service is affiliated with the French ERAS Society GRACE (French-speaking group for improved rehabilitation after surgery), we will use their audit tool to assess the rate of adherence to ERAS protocol for cesarean section.

Other Identifiers

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2021-A00397-34

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

2021-CHITS-003

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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