Effect of Local Infiltration of Liposomal Bupivacaine on Postoperative Analgesia in Patients With Craniotomy Microvascular Decompression

November 17, 2025 updated by: Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University

Effect of Local Infiltration of Liposomal Bupivacaine on Postoperative Analgesia in Patients With Craniotomy Microvascular Decompression: a Randomized Controlled Study

Background: Approximately 60-84% of patients undergoing craniotomy experience moderate to severe pain within 48 hours postoperatively, with posterior fossa craniotomy patients experiencing more severe pain. Microvascular decompression (MVD) is a type of posterior fossa surgery. Traditional analgesic regimens rely on intravenous opioids, but these have significant side effects. Currently, local infiltration at the incision site is a simple and effective analgesic method in multimodal analgesia protocols after craniotomy. Liposomal bupivacaine (Exparel®) is a new type of sustained-release local anesthetic. Its liposome encapsulation technology can extend the drug release time to 72 hours, covering the entire time window of postoperative acute pain and helping patients better control pain.

Objective: This study aims to explore the efficacy of local infiltration of liposomal bupivacaine at the scalp incision in acute pain after microvascular decompression in neurosurgery and provide evidence for clinical practice.

Methods: This study is a single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial. A total of 100 patients scheduled for elective craniotomy for microvascular decompression will be enrolled. They will be randomly assigned to the liposomal bupivacaine incision infiltration group (LB group) or the conventional treatment control group (C group). After induction of general anesthesia, in the LB group, after preoperative disinfection and draping, the surgeon will perform layer-by-layer infiltration of the incision (subcutaneous → muscle → periosteum) before skin incision. In the C group, the routine procedure of direct disinfection and draping followed by skin incision will be performed. Both groups will receive standardized multimodal analgesia after returning to the ward. The primary outcome measure is the area under the curve of the numerical rating scale (NRS) for rest pain from 0 to 72 hours postoperatively (AUC NRS-R0-72). Secondary outcome measures include the time to first analgesic request within 72 hours postoperatively; rescue analgesia within 72 hours postoperatively (opioid analgesics converted to morphine milligram equivalents); NRS scores at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively; hemodynamic data: heart rate and blood pressure at skin incision, 1 hour after skin incision, 2 hours after skin incision, at the end of surgery, and 1 hour postoperatively; QoR-15 score at 72 hours postoperatively; and length of hospital stay and hospitalization costs.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

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Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

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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 (Estimated)

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.
100

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.
  • Early Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

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Study Contact

Study Contact

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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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • (1) Age ≥ 18 years old;
  • (2) ASA classification ≤ III grade, patients scheduled to undergo craniotomy and microvascular decompression surgery.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • (1) Trauma or emergency patients;
  • (2) Patients with cardiac conduction block (sinus node conduction block or atrioventricular conduction block);
  • (3) Patients with coagulation dysfunction;
  • (4) Patients who have abused alcohol or had severe dependence on anesthetic drugs within the past 2 months;
  • (5) Patients with uncontrolled anxiety disorder, schizophrenia or other mental illnesses;
  • (6) Patients with a history of allergy to local anesthetics or non-steroidal drugs.

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: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

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.
Placebo Comparator: Control group
For this group of patients, after routine disinfection and draping, the incision operation was performed directly.
Other: normal operation
Following the normal procedure, after direct disinfection and draping, the incision operation can be carried out.
Experimental: Liposome bupivacaine group
After the patients in this group underwent preoperative disinfection and draping, the surgical doctor gradually infiltrated the liposomal bupivacaine into the incision layer by layer (subcutaneous → muscle → periosteum), and then proceeded with the incision operation.
Drug: liposomal bupivacaine local infiltration
Before the operation, local infiltration of the scalp incision was performed using liposomal bupivacaine.

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
AUC NRS-R0-72
Time Frame: From 0 to 72 hours after the operation
The area under the curve of the resting pain score from 0 to 72 hours after the operation
From 0 to 72 hours after the operation

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The time required for the first postoperative analgesic administration within 72 hours after the operation
Time Frame: From 0 to 72 hours after the operation
The time required for the first postoperative analgesic administration within 72 hours after the operation
From 0 to 72 hours after the operation
The situation of emergency pain relief within 72 hours after the operation
Time Frame: From 0 to72 hours after the operation
The situation of emergency pain relief within 72 hours after the operation(Converting the dosage of opioid painkillers into milligram equivalents of morphine)
From 0 to72 hours after the operation
NRS scores at 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours after the operation
Time Frame: From 0 to 72 hours after the operation
Numerical rating scale（NRS) scores at 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours after the operation
From 0 to 72 hours after the operation
Hemodynamic data 1
Time Frame: From the time of incision to 1 hour after surgery
Heart rate at the time of incision, 1 hour after incision, 2 hours after incision, at the end of the surgery, and 1 hour after surgery.
From the time of incision to 1 hour after surgery
Hemodynamic data 2
Time Frame: From the time of incision to 1 hour after surgery
Blood pressure at the time of incision, 1 hour after incision, 2 hours after incision, at the end of the surgery, and 1 hour after surgery.
From the time of incision to 1 hour after surgery
QoR-15 score
Time Frame: At 72 hours after the operation
The 15-item quality of recovery scale at 72 hours after the operation
At 72 hours after the operation
Length of hospital stay
Time Frame: From admission to discharge
The duration from admission to discharge
From admission to discharge
Hospital expenses
Time Frame: From admission to discharge
The medical expenses incurred from admission to discharge
From admission to discharge

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.
Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University

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 (Estimated)

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.
November 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
June 1, 2026

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.
December 1, 2026

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).
September 22, 2025

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.
November 17, 2025

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.
November 24, 2025

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.
November 24, 2025

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.
November 17, 2025

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.
September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • 2025-1230

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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