Brachial Plexus Block vs General Anesthesia in Upper Extremity Surgery

NCT07352839 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 536
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study compares two different anesthesia methods for upper arm and hand surgery: regional anesthesia (brachial plexus block) versus general anesthesia. Regional anesthesia numbs only the arm being operated on by injecting local anesthetic near the nerves, while the patient remains awake or lightly sedated. General anesthesia puts the patient completely asleep using medications given through a breathing tube. The main goals of this study are to compare:

• How much pain patients experience after surgery
• Patient satisfaction with their anesthesia
• Side effects such as nausea, vomiting, or breathing problems
• Time until patients are ready to go home
• Overall safety of each method Participants in this study will be randomly assigned to receive either brachial plexus block or general anesthesia for their scheduled upper extremity surgery. The research team will monitor participants during surgery and follow their recovery for 24 hours after the operation. This research will help doctors and patients make better-informed decisions about which type of anesthesia may be best for upper extremity procedures.

Conditions

Upper Extremity Surgery; Regional Anesthesia; General Anesthetic

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Preoperative Anxiety Score

  Preoperative anxiety measured immediately prior to operating room entry using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State (STAI-S) scale. STAI-S is a validated 20-item questionnaire assessing current state anxiety. Scores range from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety levels.

  Immediately before operating room entry (preoperatively)

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Postoperative Pain Score

  From end of surgery to 24 hours postoperatively

• Opioid Consumption

  From end of surgery to 24 hours postoperatively

• Number of Participants with Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV)

  First 24 hours postoperatively

• PACU Length of Stay

  From PACU admission until discharge readiness (typically 0-4 hours postoperatively

• Quality of Recovery (QoR-15) Score

  24 hours postoperatively

Study Arms (2)

Brachial Plexus Block Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Patients receiving ultrasound-guided brachial plexus block for upper extremity surgery

Procedure: Brachial Plexus Block

General Anesthesia Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Patients receiving general anesthesia for upper extremity surgery

Procedure: General Anesthesia

Interventions

Brachial Plexus Block PROCEDURE

Ultrasound-guided infraclavicular brachial plexus block using local anesthetic (e.g., ropivacaine or bupivacaine). Block performed before surgery to provide regional anesthesia for upper extremity surgery.

Brachial Plexus Block Group

General Anesthesia PROCEDURE

Standard general anesthesia with intravenous induction and maintenance with volatile anesthetics or total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA). Endotracheal intubation or laryngeal mask airway used as appropriate.

General Anesthesia Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• clusion Criteria:
• Adults aged 18-65 years
• ASA physical status I-II
• Scheduled for elective upper-extremity orthopedic surgery
• Able to provide informed consent
• Able to understand and complete study questionnaires

You may not qualify if:

• Contraindications to regional anesthesia
• Coagulopathy or bleeding disorders
• Local infection at the block site
• Patient refusal of regional anesthesia
• Known allergy to local anesthetic agents
• Chronic opioid use (daily use for \>3 months)
• Psychiatric disorders preventing cooperation or consent
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Severe respiratory disease (for general anesthesia group)
• Pre-existing neurological deficit in the operative extremity
• Emergency surgery
• ASA physical status III or higher

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Adana City Training and Research Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

Adana City Training and Research Hospital

Adana, Adana, 01150, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Brachial Plexus Block; Anesthesia, General

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Nerve Block; Anesthesia, Conduction; Anesthesia; Anesthesia and Analgesia

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 30, 2025
• First Posted: January 20, 2026
• Study Start: May 9, 2025
• Primary Completion: November 3, 2025
• Study Completion: November 4, 2025
• Last Updated: January 20, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)