Ultrasound-Guided External Oblique Intercostal Plane Block Versus Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane Block For Perioperative Analgesia in Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

January 17, 2026 updated by: Ahmed Alaa El din Ali, Benha University
This study aims to compare the analgesic efficacy, duration of analgesia, and overall opioid consumption between the external oblique intercostal plane (EOIP) block and subcostal transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
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.

Detailed Description

Postoperative pain management is a critical aspect of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols, particularly in laparoscopic bariatric procedures such as sleeve gastrectomy.

Among the ultrasound-guided abdominal wall blocks, the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block and its subcostal variant have demonstrated efficacy for upper abdominal surgeries. The subcostal TAP block provides analgesia for the T6-T9 dermatomes, covering incisions in upper abdominal procedures like laparoscopic cholecystectomy and bariatric surgery.

The external oblique intercostal plane (EOIP) block is a relatively new fascial plane block that targets the intercostal nerves lying between the external oblique and intercostal muscles.

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.
70

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.
  • Not Applicable

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 Locations

  • Egypt
    • Benha
      • Banhā, Benha, Egypt, 13518
        • Recruiting
        • Benha University
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • El sayed M Abd Elazeem, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Fatma A Abd Elfataah, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Zienab M Abd Elwahab, MD

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:

  • Age from 18 to 65 years.
  • Both genders.
  • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class I or II
  • Body mass index (BMI) between 30-50 kg/m².
  • Scheduled for elective laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy under general anesthesia.
  • Written informed consent from patients or surrogate decision makers.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patient refusal.
  • Allergy to local anesthetics.
  • Coagulation disorders or anticoagulant therapy.
  • Local infection or scar at the injection site.
  • Severe hepatic or renal dysfunction.
  • Chronic opioid use or psychiatric illness interfering with pain assessment.
  • Conversion to open surgery or intraoperative complications requiring re-exploration.

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: Double

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: EOIP Group (Group A )
Patients will receive an ultrasound-guided bilateral external oblique intercostal plane (EOIP) block using 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine in each side after induction of anesthesia and prior to surgical incision.
Other: External oblique intercostal plane block
Patients will receive an ultrasound-guided bilateral external oblique intercostal plane (EOIP) block using 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine in each side after induction of anesthesia and prior to surgical incision.
Experimental: Subcostal TAP Group (Group T)
Patients will receive a bilateral subcostal transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block using 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine in each side, under ultrasound guidance and identical conditions.
Other: Subcostal transversus abdominis plane block
Patients will receive a bilateral subcostal transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block using 20 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine in each side, under ultrasound guidance and identical conditions.

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
Total morphine consumption
Time Frame: 24 hours postoperatively
Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) using intravenous morphine (1 mg bolus, 10-minute lockout) will be available for rescue analgesia when visual analogue score ( VAS ) > 3.
24 hours postoperatively

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
Time to first rescue analgesia
Time Frame: 24 hours postoperatively
Time to first rescue analgesia will be recorded from the end of surgery till first dose of morphine administrated.
24 hours postoperatively
Degree of pain
Time Frame: 24 hours postoperatively

Each patient will be instructed about postoperative pain assessment with the visual analogue score (VAS). VAS (0 represents "no pain" while 10 represents "the worst pain imaginable").

VAS will be recorded at 0, 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively (at rest and cough).
24 hours postoperatively
Heart rate
Time Frame: Till the end of surgery (Up to two hours)
Heart rate will be recorded intraoperatively and postoperatively
Till the end of surgery (Up to two hours)
Mean arterial blood pressure
Time Frame: Till the end of surgery (Up to two hours)
Mean arterial blood pressure will be recorded intraoperatively and postoperatively
Till the end of surgery (Up to two hours)
Incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting
Time Frame: 24 hours postoperatively
Incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) will be recorded.
24 hours postoperatively
Block-related complications
Time Frame: 24 hours postoperatively
Block-related complications such as pleural puncture, local anesthetic toxicity, and hematoma will be recorded.
24 hours postoperatively
Degree of patient satisfaction
Time Frame: 24 hours postoperatively
Patient satisfaction will be assessed using a 5-point Likert scale at 24 hours (1 = very dissatisfied , 2 = dissatisfied, 3 =mild, 4= moderate satisfaction, 5 = very satisfied ).
24 hours postoperatively

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.
Benha 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 (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.
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.
November 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.
November 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).
January 17, 2026

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 17, 2026

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 26, 2026

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.
January 26, 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.
January 17, 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.
January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

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.
  • MS.28.12.2025

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

The data will be available upon a reasonable request from the corresponding author after the end of study for one year.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

After the end of study for one year.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

The data will be available upon a reasonable request from the corresponding author.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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