RISS Block for Enhanced Recovery After Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

March 5, 2026 updated by: Lei Shi, Ningbo University

A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Ultrasound-Guided Rhomboid Intercostal and Subserratus Plane Block for Enhanced Recovery After Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

This prospective randomized controlled trial evaluates the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided rhomboid intercostal and subserratus plane (RISS) block for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).

Postoperative pain after VATS can impair respiratory function, delay mobilization, and increase opioid consumption. Although several regional anesthesia techniques are available, the optimal analgesic strategy remains under investigation. The RISS block is a novel fascial plane block that may provide effective thoracic analgesia while minimizing opioid-related adverse effects.

A total of 90 adult patients scheduled for elective VATS will be randomly assigned to receive either ultrasound-guided RISS block combined with general anesthesia or general anesthesia alone. The primary outcomes include postoperative 24-hour benefit of analgesia score (BCS) and patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) pressing frequency. Secondary outcomes include postoperative pain scores, opioid consumption, and adverse events.

This study aims to determine whether RISS block improves postoperative recovery and reduces opioid requirements after VATS.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

90

Phase

  • 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 Locations

  • China
      • Ningbo, China
        • The Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Adults aged 18 years or older

ASA physical status I-II

Scheduled for elective video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)

Provided written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

History of shock or coma

Coagulopathy

Local infection at the puncture site

Pre-existing nerve injury on the side intended for block

Chronic analgesic use

Psychiatric disorders

Prior thoracic or breast surgery

Allergy to local or general anaesthetic agents

Body mass index (BMI) ≥35 kg/m²

Inability to operate a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device

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
Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control Group
Experimental: RISS Block Group
Procedure: Rhomboid Intercostal and Subserratus Plane Block with local anesthetic
Ultrasound-guided dual-plane RISS block performed after induction of general anesthesia. A total of 40 mL of 0.375% ropivacaine (150 mg) was administered across the rhomboid-intercostal plane and low subserratus plane.
Experimental: ICNB Group
Procedure: Intercostal nerve block
Ultrasound-guided intercostal nerve block performed at surgical port levels (T4-T7) using 0.375% ropivacaine with total dose ≤75 mg.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
24-hour cumulative number of effective PCA presses
Time Frame: Within 24 hours postoperatively
Within 24 hours postoperatively
Bruggrmann Comfort Scale (BCS) score at 24 hours
Time Frame: 24 hours after surgery
24 hours after surgery

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Ningbo 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)

September 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

September 1, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

October 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 5, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 5, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 10, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 10, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 5, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2024-scientific-research-124

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

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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