Preoperative TAP Block Versus Postoperative TAP Block in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: a Randomized Controlled Trial

NCT ID: NCT06903182

Last Updated: 2025-06-22

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 46 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-06-16
• Study Completion Date: 2026-04-30

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the regional anesthesia technique "TAP block" provide more analgesia when performed before or after the surgery. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does preoperative TAP block provide greater analgesia than postoperative TAP block? Patients receiving preoperative TAP block will have less pain and take less painkillers than patients receiving postoperative TAP block?

Participants will:

Receive preoperative or postoperative TAP block They will be asked about their pain levels during the hospital stay.

Detailed Description

The TAP block is a safe, easy-to-perform, and effective technique for managing postoperative pain. It reduces opioid consumption and increases patient satisfaction. Despite recent studies indicating that postoperative TAP block might be more effective than preoperative TAP block in reducing opioid use within 24 hours, the optimal timing of its administration (before or after surgery) remains unclear.

In this study we will compare preoperative to postoperative TAP block in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecistectomy.

The primary aim of this study is to determine the difference in postoperative pain control between preoperative and postoperative TAP block administration in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

The primary objective will be to evaluate the difference in postoperative pain at rest, 24 hours after surgery, between patients receiving preoperative versus postoperative TAP block. Pain will be assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) from 0 to 10.

Secondary objectives will be intraoperative and postoperative opioids, postoperative nausea and vomiting, pain at resnt and on movement at 0,6,12,24 hours.

Conditions

TAP Block

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Preoperative TAP block

Patients will receive a preoperative TAP block with 40 mL (20 mL on the right side + 20 mL on the left side) of Ropivacaine 0.4%

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Preoperative TAP Block

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Patients will receive preoperative TAP block

Postoperative TAP block

Patients will receive a postoperative TAP block with 40 mL (20 mL on the right side + 20 mL on the left side) of Ropivacaine 0.4%

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Postoperative TAP block

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Patients will receive postoperative TAP block

Interventions

Preoperative TAP Block

Patients will receive preoperative TAP block

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Postoperative TAP block

Patients will receive postoperative TAP block

Intervention Type: PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• ASA I-II patients
• Age >18 years
• Informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

• History of chronic pain
• Beta-blocker therapy
• Allergy to the drugs used in the study

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Padova

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Alessandro De Cassai

Medical Doctor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

University Hospital of Padua

Padua, Italy, Italy

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Italy

Central Contacts

Silvia De Pinto, MD

Role: CONTACT

silvia.depinto@aopd.veneto.it

+390496739

Facility Contacts

Silvia De Pinto

Role: primary

silvia.depinto@aopd.veneto.it

+390498216739

Other Identifiers

6126/AO/24

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id