Deep Rectus Sheath (DRS) Block in Abdominal Surgery

NCT07586462 | Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: DRS_StudyNo other
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

The goal of this observational study is to learn about the effectiveness of the Deep Rectus Sheath (Preperitoneal) block in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. The main question it aims to answer is: Does the Deep Rectus Sheath block improve postoperative recovery and pain control compared to standard care or other fascial plane blocks in patients undergoing abdominal surgery? Participants undergoing open or laparoscopic abdominal surgery as part of their routine clinical care will receive analgesic management according to standard practice, which may include systemic analgesia alone, Deep Rectus Sheath block, or other fascial plane blocks (such as TAP, ESP, or QL), depending on anesthesiologist choice. Postoperative outcomes will be collected prospectively, including quality of recovery (QoR-15 at 24 hours), pain scores at rest and during movement up to 48 hours, analgesic consumption, time to first analgesic request, mobilization time, and occurrence of complications.

Conditions

Laparoscopy; Abdominal Surgery by Laparotomy

Keywords

rectus sheath; fascial blocks; Laparoscopy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) score

  The Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) is a validated patient-reported outcome measure designed to assess the quality of postoperative recovery across multiple dimensions of physical and psychological well-being. The questionnaire consists of 15 items, each scored on an 11-point numerical scale, resulting in a total score ranging from: Minimum score: 0 → extremely poor quality of recovery Maximum score: 150 → excellent quality of recovery Higher QoR-15 scores indicate a better postoperative recovery experience. The questionnaire evaluates five key domains: Pain Physical comfort Physical independence Psychological support Emotional state

  24 hours postoperatively

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Postoperative pain

  0-2-4-6-8-12-24-48 hours postoperatively

• Duration of analgesia

  up to 48 hours

• Complications

  up to 48 hours

Study Arms (1)

DRS block

Ultrasound-guided Deep Rectus Sheath Block (preperitoneal block)

Procedure: Other blocks

Interventions

Other blocks PROCEDURE

Fascial plane blocks (TAP, QL, ESP, Rectus sheath)

DRS block

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients undergoing abdominal surgery, either open or laparoscopic

You may qualify if:

• Age ≥ 18 years
• Patients undergoing abdominal surgery, either open or laparoscopic
• ASA physical status I-III
• Neuraxial or general anesthesia according to standard clinical practice
• Provision of informed consent to participate in the study

You may not qualify if:

• Refusal to provide informed consent
• Contraindications to locoregional anesthesia
• Known allergy to local anesthetic agents
• Coagulation disorders or incompatible anticoagulant therapy
• Infection at the injection site
• Cognitive impairment preventing reliable assessment of outcomes

Sponsors & Collaborators

• San Giovanni di Dio Hospital: lead

Study Sites (2)

Crotone Hospital

Crotone, Italy

NOT YET RECRUITING

Crotone Hospital

Crotone, Italy

RECRUITING

Central Study Contacts

Tommaso Sorrentino, MD

CONTACT

+393277038017; dr.sorrentinotommaso@gmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 4, 2026
• First Posted: May 14, 2026
• Study Start: May 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2027
• Last Updated: May 22, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

IT (2)