Green Light for Post-Operative Wellness

NCT ID: NCT07218289

Last Updated: 2026-01-07

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 60 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2026-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2026-12-01

Brief Summary

This is an unblinded, parallel group randomized controlled trial to evaluate bright green light as an adjunct therapy after surgery at UPMC Shadyside. The primary outcome measure will be pain intensity with secondary outcome measures including opioid requirements, sleep quality, mood, and overall post-operative recovery. Specific aims/hypotheses for this study are as follows:

Aim 1: To assess bright green light therapy's potential as a complementary post-operative analgesic strategy in patients recovering from surgery Hypothesis 1: Participants exposed to bright green light, in comparison to dim white (ambient) light, will have improved postoperative pain scores and lower opioid use.

Aim 2: To examine the impact of bright green light therapy on patient-centered measures of post-operative recovery that may be related to improved circadian function.

Hypothesis 2: Participants exposed to bright green light, in comparison to dim white (ambient) light, will have improved quality of post-operative recovery, enhanced sleep, and reduced anxiety and depression.

Detailed Description

This research study is being done to evaluate the use of light therapy following surgery at UPMC Shadyside Hospital (Pittsburgh, PA). Light therapy after surgery may reduce pain and pain medication requirements, and it may improve sleep, mood, and overall post-surgery recovery. The proposed study design of a randomized controlled trial investigates the use of bright green light therapy for post-operative pain management and wellness.

Conditions

Surgery

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Bright Green Light Exposure Arm

Subjects randomized to this group will be exposed to bright green light via the Day Light Classic Plus light therapy lamp fitted with an appropriate color filter. The light will be administered for 4 hours daily for up to three days post-operatively while the subject is in the hospital.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Bright Green Light Therapy

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Day Light Classic Plus light therapy lamp with filter to yield bright green light.

Dim White Light Exposure Arm

Subjects randomized to this group will be exposed to dim white light via the Day Light Classic Plus light therapy lamp fitted with an appropriate color filter. The light will be administered for 4 hours daily for up to three days post-operatively while the subject is in the hospital.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Dim White Light Therapy

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Day Light Classic Plus light therapy lamp with filter to yield dim white light.

Interventions

Bright Green Light Therapy

Day Light Classic Plus light therapy lamp with filter to yield bright green light.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Dim White Light Therapy

Day Light Classic Plus light therapy lamp with filter to yield dim white light.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Age >/= 18 years
• Planned to undergo laparoscopic or robotic surgery at UPMC Shadyside Hospital
• Anticipated post-operative length of stay >/= 48 hours
• Able to speak and read English fluently, with the capacity to provide informed consent and complete the associated surveys independently

Exclusion Criteria

• Pregnancy
• History of significant ocular issues/dysfunction (†‡ ) (e.g., glaucoma, ocular trauma, macular degeneration, cataracts) that would interfere with the ocular mechanism of action
• History of significant neurological disease (‡) (e.g., traumatic brain injury, stroke, neurodegenerative disease) that would compromise the reliability of pain screening and/or interfere with the central mechanism of action
• History of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, which could increase the risk of an adverse reaction to light exposure (i.e., acute mania)
• History of splenectomy, which would interfere with the mechanism of action

• Ocular issues corrected with contact lenses or spectacle corrective eyeglasses will NOT be considered a criterion for exclusion ‡Unclear cases will be at the discretion of the PI

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

Sponsors

Rebecca E Kotcher, MD

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Rebecca E Kotcher, MD

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Rebecca Kotcher, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Pittsburgh, UPMC

Locations

UPMC Shadyside Hospital

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Amy Monroe, MPH, MBA

Role: CONTACT

monroeal@upmc.edu

412-623-6382

Sarah E Warner, BS

Role: CONTACT

warners3@upmc.edu

412-623-2706

Facility Contacts

Amy Monroe, MPH, MBA

Role: primary

monroeal@upmc.edu

412-623-6382

Carly Riedmann, MPH

Role: backup

riedmannca@upmc.edu

412-623-4147

Other Identifiers

STUDY25080068

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id