ESP Block vs. EXORA Block for Postoperative Pain in Nephrectomy

June 8, 2026 updated by: Beyhan Guner, Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Research and Training Hospital

Prospective Comparison of Postoperative Analgesic Effects of ESP Block and EXORA Block in Nephrectomy Cases

The goal of this observational study is to learn about the effects of two pain control techniques used after laparoscopic nephrectomy (kidney removal surgery) in adults. The study will compare Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) block and External Oblique Rectus Abdominis (EXORA) block, which are both used as part of routine medical care to help control pain after surgery.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Do ESP block and EXORA block differ in how well they control pain after surgery? Do ESP block and EXORA block differ in their effects on recovery quality and the need for additional pain medication?

Researchers will compare participants who receive ESP block with participants who receive EXORA block as part of routine clinical care.

Participants will:

Undergo laparoscopic nephrectomy according to routine clinical practice. Receive either ESP block or EXORA block based on the treating anesthesiologist's usual clinical preference.

Complete a recovery questionnaire before surgery and 24 hours after surgery. Have pain scores, use of additional pain medication, nausea and vomiting, and other routine postoperative measurements recorded during the first 24 hours after surgery.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

In routine practice at our institution, anesthesia clinicians performing laparoscopic nephrectomy administer either an Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) block or an External Oblique Rectus Abdominis (EXORA) block based solely on individual clinician preference. The researcher does not influence this decision. Among the eligible patients, those receiving either ESP or EXORA block will be included and evaluated observationally. Block types other than these two will not be included.

All postoperative visits and clinical follow-ups are routinely conducted by the hospital's pain management team. The researcher does not intervene in these clinical processes and is only responsible for obtaining informed consent, recording demographic variables, documenting the type of block performed, and administering the QoR-15 questionnaire preoperatively and at postoperative 24 hours.

Preoperative evaluation and necessary laboratory testing are carried out according to standard hospital practice by the attending anesthesiologist. In the operating room, standard monitoring (non-invasive blood pressure, ECG, heart rate, and oxygen saturation) is applied. Anesthesia induction is performed using standard agents and general anesthesia is maintained according to the clinician's routine practice.

For postoperative analgesia, all patients routinely receive intravenous paracetamol 1 g every 8 hours. Rescue analgesia consists of intravenous tramadol 1 mg/kg when NRS ≥4. After surgery, patients are monitored in the PACU and transferred to the ward once their Aldrete score is ≥9.

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are assessed using a verbal descriptive scale (0-4) and intravenous ondansetron 4 mg is administered for PONV ≥2.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

84

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

  • Name: Şeyma Nur Güner Zengin, MD
  • Phone Number: +90 212 414 71 71
  • Email: snurguner@gmail.com

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Nalan Saygı Emir, MD, Associate Professor
  • Phone Number: +90 212 414 71 71
  • Email: nasaemir@hotmail.com

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Istanbul
      • Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34147
        • Recruiting
        • Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Research and Training 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

Adult patients aged 18-80 years undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomy and receiving either an Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) block or an External Oblique Rectus Abdominis (EXORA) block according to routine clinical practice.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age between 18 and 80 years
  • Patients scheduled for laparoscopic nephrectomy
  • Patients for whom Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) block or External Oblique Rectus Abdominis (EXORA) block has been selected by the treating clinician
  • ASA physical status I-III

Exclusion Criteria:

  • No regional block performed in routine clinical practice
  • Body mass index (BMI) greater than 35 kg/m²
  • History of opioid dependence
  • Alcohol or other substance dependence
  • Psychiatric disease, mental retardation, dementia, or any condition impairing pain perception or pain assessment

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
Intervention / Treatment
Group E
Participants undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomy who receive Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) block as part of routine clinical care.
Procedure: Erector Spinae Plane Block
An ultrasound-guided Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) block is performed under general anesthesia prior to extubation as part of routine clinical practice. After aseptic preparation, a linear ultrasound probe is placed over the T10 transverse process on the surgical side. The needle is advanced into the fascial plane between the erector spinae muscle and the transverse process. Following negative aspiration and confirmation of correct needle placement with hydrodissection, 30 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine is injected. The procedure is performed by anesthesiologists according to routine clinical practice without researcher involvement in clinical decision-making.
Other Names:
  • ESP BLock
Group X
Participants undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomy who receive External Oblique Rectus Abdominis (EXORA) block as part of routine clinical care.
Procedure: External Oblique Rectus Abdominis Block
An ultrasound-guided External Oblique Rectus Abdominis (EXORA) block is performed under general anesthesia prior to extubation as part of routine clinical practice. After aseptic preparation, a linear ultrasound probe is positioned in the parasternal sagittal plane lateral to the xiphoid process at the level of the 8th costal cartilage on the surgical side. The needle is advanced into the fascial plane between the rectus abdominis and external oblique muscles. Following negative aspiration and confirmation of correct needle placement with hydrodissection, 30 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine is injected. The procedure is performed by anesthesiologists according to routine clinical practice without researcher involvement in clinical decision-making.
Other Names:
  • EXORA Block

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Postoperative Pain Score (NRS)
Time Frame: Postoperative 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours
Postoperative pain will be assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS, 0-10). Pain scores will be recorded at 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery and will be compared between Group E and Group X. The Numeric Rating Scale ranges from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain, 10 = worst imaginable pain); higher scores indicate worse pain.
Postoperative 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Rescue Analgesic Requirement
Time Frame: First 24 hours after surgery
The requirement for rescue analgesia and the total amount of postoperative tramadol consumption during the first 24 hours will be recorded and compared between Group E and Group X.
First 24 hours after surgery
Quality of Recovery (QoR-15 Score)
Time Frame: Preoperative baseline and postoperative 24th hour
Quality of recovery will be assessed using the validated Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) questionnaire. Scores will be compared between Group E and Group X. The QoR-15 total score ranges from 0 to 150, with higher scores indicating better quality of recovery.
Preoperative baseline and postoperative 24th hour

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) Score
Time Frame: Postoperative 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours
Postoperative nausea and vomiting will be assessed using a verbal descriptive scale from 0 to 4 (0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = single vomiting episode, 4 = multiple vomiting episodes). Scores will be compared between Group E and Group X.
Postoperative 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Research and Training Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 (Estimated)

June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

August 1, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

August 1, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 4, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 8, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 10, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 10, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 8, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • BEAH 2026/191

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared because the study protocol does not include a data-sharing plan and the collected data will be used only for the purposes of the current study.

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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