Effect of Intercostal Nerve Block With Liposomal Bupivacaine on Quality of Recovery in VATS Partial Pneumonectomy

June 17, 2026 updated by: Lin Huifen, Sanming First Hospital

Effect of Intercostal Nerve Block With Liposomal Bupivacaine on Postoperative Quality of Recovery in Patients Undergoing Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Partial Pneumonectomy

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a minimally invasive approach for partial pneumonectomy, but postoperative pain remains a major challenge affecting recovery. Intercostal nerve block (ICNB) with conventional local anesthetics provides limited duration of analgesia, often insufficient to cover the peak pain period after surgery. Liposomal bupivacaine is a long-acting formulation designed to provide extended analgesia up to 72 hours. This study aims to evaluate the effect of preoperative ICNB with liposomal bupivacaine compared with conventional bupivacaine hydrochloride on postoperative quality of recovery in patients undergoing VATS partial pneumonectomy. The primary outcome is the Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) score at 24 hours postoperatively. We hypothesize that liposomal bupivacaine ICNB results in superior recovery quality compared with conventional bupivacaine, with reduced postoperative pain and opioid consumption.

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.

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.
96

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 4

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

  • China
    • Fujian
      • Sanming, Fujian, China
        • Recruiting
        • SanMing First Hospital
        • Contact:

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:

  • Patients scheduled for thoracic surgery under general anesthesia via thoracoscopic approach;
  • Age 18-65 years;
  • Classified as Grade I-II by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of local anesthetic allergy.
  • Chronic opioid users.
  • Contraindications for nerve block, including infection at the puncture site and coagulation disorders;
  • Language communication impairment.
  • Other conditions unsuitable for inclusion in the trial.

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.
Active Comparator: Control group
30 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine hydrochloride was administered by the surgeon under thoracoscopy to perform intercostal nerve block at the 3rd to 8th intercostal spaces, with 5 mL injected into each intercostal space prior to the start of the procedure.
Drug: Bupivacaine Hydrochloride
Single-dose, pre-procedural intercostal nerve block with bupivacaine hydrochloride, administered by thoracoscopy prior to surgery.
Other Names:
  • Marcaine, Sensorcaine
Experimental: Liposome bupivacaine group
A 30 mL solution was prepared by diluting 15 mL of bupivacaine liposome with 15 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride. Prior to the procedure, the surgeon performed intercostal nerve blockage at the 3rd to 8th intercostal spaces under thoracoscopy, injecting 5 mL into each intercostal space.
Drug: Bupivacaine liposome
Single-dose, pre-procedural intercostal nerve block with bupivacaine liposome, administered by thoracoscopy prior to surgery.
Other Names:
  • Exparel, 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
Postoperative Quality of Recovery at 24 hours
Time Frame: 24 hours after surgery
Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) questionnaire. The scale includes 15 items across 5 domains: pain, physical comfort, physical independence, psychological support, and emotional state. Each item is scored from 0 to 10 (0 = worst possible recovery; 10 = best possible recovery). Total score ranges from 0 to 150, with higher scores indicating better recovery.
24 hours after surgery

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
Postoperative Quality of Recovery at 48 hours
Time Frame: 48 hours after surgery
Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) questionnaire. The scale includes 15 items across 5 domains: pain, physical comfort, physical independence, psychological support, and emotional state. Each item is scored from 0 to 10 (0 = worst possible recovery; 10 = best possible recovery). Total score ranges from 0 to 150, with higher scores indicating better recovery.
48 hours after surgery
Area Under the Curve (AUC) of Pain Scores in the First 48 Hours
Time Frame: From PACU arrival to 48 hours post-PACU arrival (assessed at 8 time points)
Pain intensity assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Assessments are performed at 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours after arrival in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), separately for pain at rest and pain during coughing (movement). AUC is calculated using the trapezoidal method.
From PACU arrival to 48 hours post-PACU arrival (assessed at 8 time points)
Cumulative Morphine Consumption in the First 48 Hours
Time Frame: First 48 hours after surgery
Total cumulative morphine consumption (in mg) recorded from the patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device during the first 48 hours after surgery.
First 48 hours after surgery
Time to First PCA Demand
Time Frame: Up to 48 hours
Time interval from arrival in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) to the first demand dose of patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA).
Up to 48 hours
Patient Satisfaction
Time Frame: 48 hours after surgery
Patient satisfaction with postoperative analgesia assessed using a 5-point Likert scale: 1 = very dissatisfied, 2 = dissatisfied, 3 = neutral, 4 = satisfied, 5 = very satisfied.
48 hours after surgery
Duration of PACU Stay
Time Frame: From PACU arrival to Aldrete score ≥9, up to 1 hour
Time interval from arrival in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) until the Aldrete score reaches ≥9.
From PACU arrival to Aldrete score ≥9, up to 1 hour
Emergence time
Time Frame: Up to 1 hour
Time interval from discontinuation of anesthetic agents until the patient shows a purposeful response to verbal command.
Up to 1 hour
Intraoperative Remifentanil Consumption
Time Frame: Intraoperative period (from anesthesia maintenance initiation to end of surgery)
Total intraoperative remifentanil consumption (in μg) from the start of anesthesia maintenance until the end of surgery.
Intraoperative period (from anesthesia maintenance initiation to end of surgery)

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of Adverse Events
Time Frame: First 48 hours after surgery
All adverse events occurring within the first 48 hours after surgery are recorded using a standardized case report form (CRF). Adverse events are categorized by system organ class, severity, and relationship to the study intervention.
First 48 hours after surgery

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.
Sanming First Hospital

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: Huifen Lin, MD, No. 15, Liedong Street, Sanyuan District, Sanming City, Fujian Province

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.
April 6, 2026

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.
April 7, 2027

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.
April 30, 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).
March 22, 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.
March 30, 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.
April 6, 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.
June 18, 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.
June 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.
June 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.
  • Ming-Yi-Yuan-Ethics-2024-54/02

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

After publication, the individual deidentified participant data underlying published results, the study protocol, and the statistical analysis plan can be accessed upon reasonable request from the corresponding author.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

We would like to share our individual deidentified participant data beginning three months following the publication of the main results.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

All of the individual participant data collected during the trial, the study protocol, the statistical analysis plan, and the clinical study report can be accessed with approval from the corresponding author.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings