Evaluating the Effectiveness of Postoperative Analgesic Methods in Thoracotomy Cases

March 19, 2026 updated by: Denizhan Acar

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Ultrasound-Guided Bilateral Erector Spinae Plane Block and Thoracic Epidural Analgesia Methods in Patients Undergoing Thoracotomy

Effective control of severe post-thoracotomy pain is pivotal for minimizing pulmonary complications and enhancing patient comfort. This prospective, randomized, three-arm study compared the analgesic efficacy of ultrasound-guided bilateral erector spinae plane block (ESPB) and thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) with conventional intravenous opioid-based care. Seventy-two ASA I-II patients aged 18-80 years undergoing elective thoracotomy were block-randomized to receive TEA, ESPB, or no regional intervention (control). All procedures were performed at the end of surgery before emergence from anesthesia. Pain intensity was assessed at 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 h postoperatively using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Additional outcomes included time to first rescue opioid, total tramadol consumption, time to modified Aldrete score (MAS) ≥ 9, patient satisfaction, and length of hospital stay.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

72

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

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Merkez
      • Edirne, Merkez, Turkey (Türkiye), 22020
        • Trakya University Faculty of Medicine Hospital

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

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

patients who will undergo thoracotomy surgery

Description

Inclusion Criteria: ASA I-II, Age Range 18-80 years old

-

Exclusion Criteria:GKS < 15 LIVER, HEART, LUNG, KIDNEY FAILURE PREGNANCY TRAUMA NEUROLOGICAL DEFICIT

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
TEA ANALGESİA
PATIENTS WHO UNDERWENT TEA AFTER THORACOTOMY CASES
TEA BLOCK
ATIENTS RECEIVING INTRAVENOUS ANALGESIA AFTER THORACOTOMY CASES
İV ANALGESİA
PATIENTS RECEIVING INTRAVENOUS ANALGESICS AFTER THORACOTOMY CASES

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Comparison of the analgesic efficacy of regional techniques
Time Frame: THE FIRST 24 HOURS AFTER THORACOTOMY SURGERY
The analgesic efficacy of TEA and ESP blocks after thoracotomy surgeries was evaluated at 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively in terms of VAS scores and analgesic drug consumption. The frequency and amount of tramadol and fentanyl analgesic drug consumption were recorded in the postoperative period. VAS scores were monitored at the specified times. The results were compared, and analgesic efficacy was evaluated. In addition, patient satisfaction (1: excellent, 2: good, 3: moderate, 4: poor), intensive care unit and hospital stay, and postoperative recovery time (using the modified aldarate score) were evaluated.
THE FIRST 24 HOURS AFTER THORACOTOMY SURGERY

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Denizhan Acar

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)

May 8, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

May 20, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

February 12, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 10, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 14, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 19, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 23, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 19, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • TUTF-GOBAEK 2023/190 (Other Identifier: Trakya University Faculty of Medicine Ethics Committee)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

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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