The Effect of Deep Versus Moderate Muscle Relaxants in Men During and After Robotic Surgery for Prostate Cancer

February 23, 2026 updated by: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

A Randomized Controlled Trial to Compare the Effectiveness of Deep vs. Moderate Neuromuscular Blockade in Reducing Postoperative Pain and Intra-Abdominal Insufflation Pressure During Minimally Invasive Robotic Prostatectomy

The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a difference in intra-abdominal pressure which surgeons use during surgery and post-surgery pain in men who undergo robotic prostate surgery with deep neuromuscular blockade (NMB), compared with moderate NMB.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
139

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Marielle Palop Soeprono, CRNA
  • Phone Number: 212-639-6840
  • Email: PalopM@mskcc.org

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10065
        • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 80 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult patients under the age of 80
  • American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status 1, 2, 3.
  • Elective Robotic Prostatectomy
  • Patient undergoing surgery at Josie Robertson Surgical Center

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Age younger than 18
  • Inability to provide informed consent
  • Allergy to rocuronium, sugammadex, midazolam, propofol, fentanyl, lidocaine, mannitol (IV Acetaeminophen), IV Acetaminophen, Ketorolac, Morphine, Hydromorphone, Dexamethasone, Zofran, Benadryl, Compazine
  • Neuromuscular disease
  • Any patient with previous abdominal surgery less than or equal to 20 years prior to scheduled surgery date
  • Patients with BMI>35
  • Severe renal impairment (Creatinine clearance < 30 ml/min)
  • Patient receiving Toremifene or any history of receiving Toremifene
  • Chronic pain patients
  • Patients receiving suboxone
  • Patients receiving succinylcholine

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Interventional Group: Deep Neuromuscular Blockade
The Deep NMB group (Intervention) will have rocuronium infusion titrated to deep paralysis defined as PTC of 1-2 (infusion start rate 0.025mg/kg/min or 1.5mg/kg/hr).
Drug: Rocuronium 1.5mg/kg/hr
The Deep NMB group (Intervention) will have rocuronium infusion titrated to deep paralysis defined as PTC of 1-2 (infusion start rate 0.006mg/kg/min or 0.35mg/kg/hr).
Active Comparator: Control Group: Moderate Neuromuscular Blockade
The Moderate NMB group (Control ) will have rocuronium infusion titrated to moderate paralysis defined as TOF of 1-2 (infusion start rate 0.005mg/kg/min or 0.3mg/kg/hr).
Drug: Rocuronium 0.3mg/kg/hr
The Moderate NMB group (Control ) will have rocuronium infusion titrated to moderate paralysis defined as TOF of 1-2 (infusion start rate 0.003 mg/kg/min or 0.18mg/kg/hr).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mean Difference in Intra-Abdominal Pressure (IAP) When Performing Robotic Prostatectomy in Participants Under a Moderate vs Deep Neuromuscular Blockade Technique
Time Frame: 6 hours post operation
Measured by continuous Intra-abdominal Pressure monitor in mmHg.
6 hours post operation
Difference in Levels of Postoperative Pain in Participants Under a Moderate vs Deep Neuromuscular Blockade Technique During Robotic Prostatectomy Using the Pain Numeric Pain Scale (NPS).
Time Frame: 6 hours post operation
Difference in levels of postoperative pain in participants under a moderate vs deep Neuromuscular Blockade technique during robotic prostatectomy using the pain numeric pain scale (NPS). The numeric pain scale (NPS) is a subjective measure which can be used in recovery rooms to assist in the assessment of pain. Individuals rate their pain on an eleven-point scale. The scale is composed of 0 (no pain at all) to 10 (worst imaginable pain).
6 hours post operation

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Rieth, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 14, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 11, 2024

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 15, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 16, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 17, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 23, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 18-408

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center supports the international committee of medical journal editors (ICMJE) and the ethical obligation of responsible sharing of data from clinical trials. The protocol summary, a statistical summary, and informed consent form will be made available on clinicaltrials.gov when required as a condition of Federal awards, other agreements supporting the research and/or as otherwise required. Requests for deidentified individual participant data can be made following one year after publication and for up to 36 months later. Deidentified individual participant data reported in the manuscript will be shared under the terms of a Data Use Agreement and may only be used for approved proposals. Requests may be made to: crdatashare@mskcc.org.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

Yes

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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