Liposomal Bupivacaine vs Standard Bupivacaine for Post-Rhinoplasty Analgesia

NCT07689162 | Not Yet Recruiting Phase 2 FDA Drug

• 1 other identifier: 202601024
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 45
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to find out which pain medication is more effective in reducing pain after nose surgery (rhinoplasty). The investigators are looking to find the best treatment to reduce discomfort and improve the healing process for patients having nose surgery.

Conditions

Pain, Postoperative

Keywords

Otolaryngology; Rhinoplasty; Bupivacaine; Liposomal Bupivacaine

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Cumulative opioid consumption

  Cumulative opioid consumption in the first 72 post-operative hours expressed in morphine milligram equivalents (MME).

  First 72 hours postoperatively

Secondary Outcomes (11)

• Modified Brief Pain Inventory - Pain Outcomes

  Postoperative day 0 through postoperative day 7

• Modified Brief Pain Inventory - Pain relief from analgesic medication

  Postoperative day 0 through postoperative day 7

• Nausea

  Postoperative day 0 through postoperative day 7

• Vomiting

  Postoperative day 0 through postoperative day 7

• Constipation

  Postoperative day 0 through postoperative day 7

Study Arms (2)

Liposomal Bupivacaine

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants randomized to the experimental arm will receive bilateral supraorbital and infraorbital nerve blocks using liposomal bupivacaine at the end of surgery.

Drug: Liposomal Bupivacaine

Standard Bupivacaine

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The control arm will receive standard bupivacaine nerve blocks using the same injection sites and volumes appropriate for safe regional anesthesia

Drug: Standard Bupivacaine

Interventions

Standard Bupivacaine DRUG

Volume: 4 mL of 0.75% bupivacaine hydrochloride

Also known as: Marcaine

Standard Bupivacaine

Liposomal Bupivacaine DRUG

Volume: 1.5 mL of 0.75% bupivacaine hydrochloride and 2.5 mL of liposomal bupivacaine

Also known as: Exparel

Liposomal Bupivacaine

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Adult patients (≥18 years) undergoing open rhinoplasty of any indication or complexity (e.g., primary, revision, functional, or cosmetic), including autologous grafting of any type (e.g., septal or costal cartilage) or cadaveric grafting.

You may not qualify if:

• Chronic pain condition requiring ongoing or scheduled analgesic therapy, or any diagnosis associated with chronic pain (e.g., fibromyalgia, chronic headache/migraine, neuropathic pain, complex regional pain syndrome), long-term opioid use (≥3 months, any agent), allergy or contraindication to local anesthetics, acetaminophen, ibuprofen / NSAIDs, tramadol, ketamine, Medrol (methylprednisolone) dose pack
• Concurrent non-nasal surgery planned

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Washington University School of Medicine: lead

Study Sites (1)

Washington University

St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States

Location

Related Publications (24)

• Justicz N, Gadkaree SK, Yamasaki A, Lindsay RW. Defining Typical Acetaminophen and Narcotic Usage in the Postoperative Rhinoplasty Patient. Laryngoscope. 2021 Jan;131(1):48-53. doi: 10.1002/lary.28531. Epub 2020 Feb 7.

  PMID: 32031696 BACKGROUND

• Sclafani AP, Kim M, Kjaer K, Kacker A, Tabaee A. Postoperative pain and analgesic requirements after septoplasty and rhinoplasty. Laryngoscope. 2019 Sep;129(9):2020-2025. doi: 10.1002/lary.27913. Epub 2019 Mar 7.

  PMID: 30843623 BACKGROUND

• Ilfeld BM, Viscusi ER, Hadzic A, Minkowitz HS, Morren MD, Lookabaugh J, Joshi GP. Safety and Side Effect Profile of Liposome Bupivacaine (Exparel) in Peripheral Nerve Blocks. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2015 Sep-Oct;40(5):572-82. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0000000000000283.

  PMID: 26204387 BACKGROUND

• Alameddine KO, Richards BA, Vyas K, Chaudhry A, Millesi E, Hamilton GS, Bite U. Evaluating the Efficacy of Liposomal Bupivacaine in Postoperative Pain Management for Rhinoplasty: A Retrospective Study. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2024 May;48(9):1722-1727. doi: 10.1007/s00266-023-03656-w. Epub 2023 Sep 29.

  PMID: 37775576 BACKGROUND

• Ye Q, Asherman J, Stevenson M, Brownson E, Katre NV. DepoFoam technology: a vehicle for controlled delivery of protein and peptide drugs. J Control Release. 2000 Feb 14;64(1-3):155-66. doi: 10.1016/s0168-3659(99)00146-7.

  PMID: 10640654 BACKGROUND

• Richard BM, Rickert DE, Newton PE, Ott LR, Haan D, Brubaker AN, Cole PI, Ross PE, Rebelatto MC, Nelson KG. Safety Evaluation of EXPAREL (DepoFoam Bupivacaine) Administered by Repeated Subcutaneous Injection in Rabbits and Dogs: Species Comparison. J Drug Deliv. 2011;2011:467429. doi: 10.1155/2011/467429. Epub 2011 Oct 5.

  PMID: 22013534 BACKGROUND

• McAlvin JB, Padera RF, Shankarappa SA, Reznor G, Kwon AH, Chiang HH, Yang J, Kohane DS. Multivesicular liposomal bupivacaine at the sciatic nerve. Biomaterials. 2014 May;35(15):4557-64. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2014.02.015. Epub 2014 Mar 6.

  PMID: 24612918 BACKGROUND

• Teunkens A, Vermeulen K, Van Gerven E, Fieuws S, Van de Velde M, Rex S. Comparison of 2-Chloroprocaine, Bupivacaine, and Lidocaine for Spinal Anesthesia in Patients Undergoing Knee Arthroscopy in an Outpatient Setting: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2016 Sep-Oct;41(5):576-83. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0000000000000420.

  PMID: 27281722 BACKGROUND

• Marchand GJ, Masoud AT, Ware K, King A, Ruther S, Brazil G, Cieminski K, Calteux N, Coriell C, Ulibarri H, Parise J, Arroyo A, Chen YC, Pierson M, Rafie R, Sainz K. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Intraoperative Bupivacaine in Gynaecologic Surgery After 24 Hours or 9 Half-Lives. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2021 Nov;43(11):1279-1287. doi: 10.1016/j.jogc.2021.06.010. Epub 2021 Jul 19.

  PMID: 34293514 BACKGROUND

• Safa B, Flynn B, McHardy PG, Kiss A, Haslam L, Henry PD, Kaustov L, Choi S. Comparison of the Analgesic Duration of 0.5% Bupivacaine With 1:200,000 Epinephrine Versus 0.5% Ropivacaine Versus 1% Ropivacaine for Low-Volume Ultrasound-Guided Interscalene Brachial Plexus Block: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Anesth Analg. 2021 Apr 1;132(4):1129-1137. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000005373.

  PMID: 33464760 BACKGROUND

• The Efficacy of Liposomal Bupivacaine in the Management of Post-operative Pain Following Septorhinoplasty: a Single-blinded, Prospective Clinical Trial. National Library of Medicine (US). https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05964868

  BACKGROUND

• Dasta J, Ramamoorthy S, Patou G, Sinatra R. Bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension compared with bupivacaine HCl for the reduction of opioid burden in the postsurgical setting. Curr Med Res Opin. 2012 Oct;28(10):1609-15. doi: 10.1185/03007995.2012.721760. Epub 2012 Sep 3.

  PMID: 22900785 BACKGROUND

• FDA. EXPAREL- bupivacaine injection, suspension, liposomal. FDA2024

  BACKGROUND

• FDA. MARCAINE - bupivacaine hydrochloride injection, solution. 2012.

  BACKGROUND

• Rosenberg PH, Veering BT, Urmey WF. Maximum recommended doses of local anesthetics: a multifactorial concept. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2004 Nov-Dec;29(6):564-75; discussion 524. doi: 10.1016/j.rapm.2004.08.003.

  PMID: 15635516 BACKGROUND

• Hu KS, Kwak J, Koh KS, Abe S, Fontaine C, Kim HJ. Topographic distribution area of the infraorbital nerve. Surg Radiol Anat. 2007 Jul;29(5):383-8. doi: 10.1007/s00276-007-0227-z. Epub 2007 Jun 22.

  PMID: 17585363 BACKGROUND

• Shin KJ, Shin HJ, Lee SH, Song WC, Koh KS, Gil YC. Emerging Points of the Supraorbital and Supratrochlear Nerves in the Supraorbital Margin With Reference to the Lacrimal Caruncle: Implications for Regional Nerve Block in Upper Eyelid and Dermatologic Surgery. Dermatol Surg. 2016 Aug;42(8):992-8. doi: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000000818.

  PMID: 27355574 BACKGROUND

• Ilfeld BM, Eisenach JC, Gabriel RA. Clinical Effectiveness of Liposomal Bupivacaine Administered by Infiltration or Peripheral Nerve Block to Treat Postoperative Pain. Anesthesiology. 2021 Feb 1;134(2):283-344. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000003630.

  PMID: 33372949 BACKGROUND

• Nedeljkovic SS, Kett A, Vallejo MC, Horn JL, Carvalho B, Bao X, Cole NM, Renfro L, Gadsden JC, Song J, Yang J, Habib AS. Transversus Abdominis Plane Block With Liposomal Bupivacaine for Pain After Cesarean Delivery in a Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial. Anesth Analg. 2020 Dec;131(6):1830-1839. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000005075.

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• Gadsden J, Hamilton M, Schwartz G, Gonzales J, Hutchins J, Saha P, Song J, DiGiorgi M, Winston R. A Phase 3 Active-Controlled Trial of Liposomal Bupivacaine via Adductor Canal Block for Total Knee Arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty. 2025 Oct;40(10):2605-2614.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2025.07.030. Epub 2025 Jul 22.

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• Buys MJ, Murphy MF, Warrick CM, Pace NL, Gililland JM, Pelt CE, Bankhead BR, Patzkowsky JL, Johnson KB. Serum Bupivacaine Concentration After Periarticular Injection With a Mixture of Liposomal Bupivacaine and Bupivacaine HCl During Total Knee Arthroplasty. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2017 Sep/Oct;42(5):582-587. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0000000000000636.

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• Alfirevic A, Almonacid-Cardenas F, Yalcin EK, Shah K, Kelava M, Sessler DI, Turan A. Blood bupivacaine concentrations after pecto-serratus and serratus anterior plane injections of plain and liposomal bupivacaine in robotically-assisted mitral valve surgery: Sub-study of a randomized trial. J Clin Anesth. 2024 Aug;95:111470. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2024.111470. Epub 2024 Apr 10.

  PMID: 38604047 BACKGROUND

• Hah JM, Cramer E, Hilmoe H, Schmidt P, McCue R, Trafton J, Clay D, Sharifzadeh Y, Ruchelli G, Goodman S, Huddleston J, Maloney WJ, Dirbas FM, Shrager J, Costouros JG, Curtin C, Mackey SC, Carroll I. Factors Associated With Acute Pain Estimation, Postoperative Pain Resolution, Opioid Cessation, and Recovery: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2019 Mar 1;2(3):e190168. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.0168.

  PMID: 30821824 BACKGROUND

• Moubayed SP, Ioannidis JPA, Saltychev M, Most SP. The 10-Item Standardized Cosmesis and Health Nasal Outcomes Survey (SCHNOS) for Functional and Cosmetic Rhinoplasty. JAMA Facial Plast Surg. 2018 Jan 1;20(1):37-42. doi: 10.1001/jamafacial.2017.1083.

  PMID: 28880988 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain, Postoperative

Interventions

Bupivacaine

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Postoperative Complications; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Anilides; Amides; Organic Chemicals; Aniline Compounds; Amines

Study Officials

• Matthew Wu, MD

  Washington University School of Medicine

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Matthew Wu, MD

CONTACT

314-362-0524; mjwu@wustl.edu

Sara Kukuljan, BS, RN

CONTACT

314-362-7563; kukuljas@wustl.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 2
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: single-blinded
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: This study is a single-site, prospective, randomized, single-blinded clinical trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 30, 2026
• First Posted: July 8, 2026
• Study Start: July 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2027
• Last Updated: July 10, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)