Effect of Bilateral Ultrasound-Guided TAP Block on Quality of Recovery in Cesarean Delivery Patients Receiving Intrathecal Morphine

NCT ID: NCT07145619

Last Updated: 2025-12-16

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

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

150 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-09-01

Study Completion Date

2026-02-25

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

This prospective, assessor-blinded observational cohort study will investigate the effect of adding bilateral ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block to standard intrathecal morphine (ITM) analgesia on the quality of recovery in women undergoing elective cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia. All participants will receive ITM as part of routine spinal anesthesia. The TAP group will receive an additional bilateral ultrasound-guided TAP block at the end of surgery, while the control group will not receive any additional block. Both groups will receive standardized postoperative analgesia with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA). The primary outcome is the quality of recovery at 24 hours postoperatively, measured using the validated Obstetric Quality of Recovery-10 (ObsQoR-10) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes include Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores, time to first breastfeeding, time to mobilization, time to hospital discharge, and total opioid consumption in the first 24 hours after surgery. Outcome assessors will be blinded to group allocation. The study aims to determine whether TAP block enhances functional recovery, reduces pain, and decreases analgesic requirements when used alongside ITM in cesarean delivery patients.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Effective postoperative analgesia is essential for optimizing maternal recovery after cesarean delivery, promoting early mobilization, and supporting breastfeeding initiation. Spinal anesthesia with intrathecal morphine (ITM) is commonly used due to its long-lasting analgesia; however, it may not provide complete abdominal wall analgesia and can be associated with opioid-related side effects. The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is an ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia technique that provides somatic analgesia to the anterior abdominal wall by targeting the anterior rami of the thoracolumbar spinal nerves (T6-L1). When combined with ITM, TAP block may further improve recovery quality, reduce opioid requirements, and facilitate earlier return to daily activities.

In this prospective, assessor-blinded observational cohort study, all eligible patients undergoing elective cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia at our institution will receive ITM as part of standard practice. Participants will be managed in two groups based on postoperative analgesia:

* TAP Group: Bilateral ultrasound-guided TAP block performed at the end of surgery in addition to ITM.
* Control Group: ITM only, without additional regional block.

Both groups will receive standardized postoperative analgesia via intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA). Data will be collected prospectively, and the outcome assessor responsible for postoperative evaluation will be blinded to group allocation.

Primary Outcome:

* Quality of recovery at 24 hours postoperatively, measured using the Obstetric Quality of Recovery-10 (ObsQoR-10) questionnaire.

Secondary Outcomes:

* Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores
* Time to first breastfeeding
* Time to first mobilization
* Time to hospital discharge
* Total opioid consumption within the first 24 hours

By analyzing these parameters, the study aims to clarify whether the addition of TAP block to ITM-based analgesia can enhance recovery quality, improve functional outcomes, reduce pain intensity, and decrease opioid consumption in cesarean delivery patients. Findings from this research could inform best practice guidelines for postoperative pain management in obstetric anesthesia.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Postoperative Pain Management Obstetric Anesthesia Recovery From Anesthesia

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

ITM

Patients undergoing elective cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia with 100 µg intrathecal morphine (ITM) as part of standard care. No additional regional block will be performed. Postoperative analgesia will be maintained with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) using morphine, along with multimodal analgesia.Approximately 75 participants will be enrolled in this group

Spinal Anesthesia with Intrathecal Morphine Only

Intervention Type OTHER

Elective cesarean delivery performed under spinal anesthesia with the addition of 100 micrograms intrathecal morphine (ITM) as part of standard clinical care. No additional regional block is performed. Postoperative analgesia is maintained with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) morphine and multimodal analgesia, including scheduled paracetamol and NSAIDs as per institutional protocol.

ITM + TAP

Patients undergoing elective cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia with 100 µg intrathecal morphine (ITM) as part of standard care, plus bilateral ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block performed at the end of surgery. Postoperative analgesia will be maintained with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) using morphine, along with multimodal analgesia.Approximately 75 participants will be enrolled in this group

Spinal Anesthesia with Intrathecal Morphine plus Bilateral TAP Block

Intervention Type OTHER

Elective cesarean delivery performed under spinal anesthesia with the addition of 100 micrograms intrathecal morphine (ITM) as part of standard clinical care, plus bilateral ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block performed at the end of surgery. The TAP block will be performed in-plane with a high-frequency linear probe, using 0.25% bupivacaine, 20 mL per side, injected between the internal oblique and transversus abdominis muscles. Postoperative analgesia will be maintained with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) morphine and multimodal analgesia, including scheduled paracetamol and NSAIDs.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Spinal Anesthesia with Intrathecal Morphine Only

Elective cesarean delivery performed under spinal anesthesia with the addition of 100 micrograms intrathecal morphine (ITM) as part of standard clinical care. No additional regional block is performed. Postoperative analgesia is maintained with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) morphine and multimodal analgesia, including scheduled paracetamol and NSAIDs as per institutional protocol.

Intervention Type OTHER

Spinal Anesthesia with Intrathecal Morphine plus Bilateral TAP Block

Elective cesarean delivery performed under spinal anesthesia with the addition of 100 micrograms intrathecal morphine (ITM) as part of standard clinical care, plus bilateral ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block performed at the end of surgery. The TAP block will be performed in-plane with a high-frequency linear probe, using 0.25% bupivacaine, 20 mL per side, injected between the internal oblique and transversus abdominis muscles. Postoperative analgesia will be maintained with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) morphine and multimodal analgesia, including scheduled paracetamol and NSAIDs.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Female patients aged 18-45 years
* Singleton pregnancy
* ASA physical status II-III
* Scheduled elective lower segment cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia with intrathecal morphine (ITM) as standard care
* Able to understand study procedures, provide written informed consent, and reliably use IV PCA
* Able to complete ObsQoR-10-T assessments (with trained assistance if needed)

Exclusion Criteria

* Contraindication to spinal anesthesia or TAP block (e.g., infection at injection site, coagulopathy, allergy to local anesthetics)
* Chronic opioid use or opioid/alfa-2 agonist intolerance
* Severe preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome, significant hepatic or renal impairment
* Urgent or emergent cesarean section (Category 1)
* Cognitive impairment or communication difficulty preventing accurate assessment
* Prior major abdominal surgery (other than previous cesarean delivery)
* Body mass index (BMI) \> 40 kg/m²
* Major psychiatric illness (e.g., major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, psychosis) that may affect pain perception or quality of recovery
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

45 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

MEHMET GÖKHAN TAFLAN

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

MEHMET GÖKHAN TAFLAN

Principal Investigator, Specialist in Anesthesiology

Responsibility Role SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Mehmet Gökhan Taflan, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Samsun Education and Research Hospital

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Samsun University Training and Research Hospital

Samsun, Samsun, Turkey (Türkiye)

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Turkey (Türkiye)

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Mehmet Gökhan Taflan, MD

Role: CONTACT

+905352114070

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Mehmet Gökhan Taflan, MD

Role: primary

+9005352114070

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

GOKAEK2024/18/8

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

ITMTAPObsQoRMT2025

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id