Can Ultrasound-Guided Fascial Plane Blocks Reduce Postoperative Pulmonary Complications After Major Abdominal Surgery? (FPB-PPC)

The Effect of Ultrasound-Guided Fascial Plane Blocks on Postoperative Pulmonary Complications in Patients Undergoing Major Abdominal Surgery: A Prospective Observational Study

This prospective observational study aims to evaluate whether the use of ultrasound-guided fascial plane blocks is associated with a lower incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications in adult patients undergoing elective major abdominal surgery under general anesthesia.

Patients will be observed in two groups based on routine clinical practice: those who receive an ultrasound-guided fascial plane block for postoperative analgesia and those managed with other standard analgesic methods. The choice of analgesic technique will be determined by the responsible anesthesia team and not influenced by the study.

Postoperative pulmonary complications occurring within the first 7 days after surgery will be recorded using reopening the European Perioperative Clinical Outcome (EPCO) criteria. Secondary outcomes will include unplanned intensive care unit admission, length of hospital stay, and 30-day mortality. No additional procedures or interventions will be performed for research purposes.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Postoperative Pain Management; Abdominal Surgeries; Postoperative Pulmonary Complications (PPCs)

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 500

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: arif timuroglu; Phone Number: +905072601980; Email: ariftimuroglu@yahoo.com

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Ankara
    • Yenimahalle, Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye), 06370
      • Recruiting
      • Dr. Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Hospital
      • Contact: arif timuroglu; Phone Number: +905072601980; Email: ariftimuroglu@yahoo.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of patients aged 65 years and older who are scheduled to undergo elective major abdominal surgery under general anesthesia. Eligible participants will be managed in a tertiary care hospital and will be allocated to either a fascial plane block group or a control group receiving standard perioperative analgesia. The study aims to evaluate postoperative outcomes in an elderly surgical population with comparable baseline characteristics.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 65 years or older
• Scheduled for elective major abdominal surgery (e.g., colorectal, hepatobiliary, pancreatic, or gastric surgery)
• ASA physical status II-III
• Ability to provide written informed consent
• Planned use of general anesthesia with or without adjunct regional techniques

Exclusion Criteria:

• Refusal or inability to provide informed consent
• Known allergy or contraindication to local anesthetics
• Coagulopathy or ongoing anticoagulant therapy contraindicating regional anesthesia
• Infection at the site of planned block
• Pre-existing chronic opioid use or chronic pain syndrome
• Severe hepatic, renal, or cardiac failure (e.g., Child-Pugh C, end-stage renal disease, EF <30%)
• Cognitive impairment or severe dementia preventing adequate pain assessment
• Emergency surgery
• Body mass index (BMI > 40 kg/m²)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Fascial Plane Block Group; Patients undergoing elective major abdominal surgery who receive an ultrasound-guided fascial plane block at the end of surgery as part of routine clinical practice for postoperative analgesia. The decision to perform the block is made by the responsible anesthesia team and is not influenced by the study protocol.
Control Group; Patients undergoing elective major abdominal surgery who do not receive an ultrasound-guided fascial plane block and are managed with other routine postoperative analgesic methods, including epidural analgesia, intravenous patient-controlled analgesia, or oral analgesics, according to standard clinical practice.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs)	Postoperative pulmonary complications will be defined and recorded according to the European Perioperative Clinical Outcome (EPCO) criteria.	Within the first 7 postoperative days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Dr Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: arif timuroglu, Dr. Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 31, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 31, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): February 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 30, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 25, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 2025-12/186

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data will not be shared due to institutional policies and concerns regarding patient confidentiality and data protection.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No