Pain Control and Recovery After Thoracic Surgery Using SPSIP Block

NCT07850388 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2025-SAEK-0815
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 110
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Thoracic surgery is frequently associated with significant postoperative pain, which may impair respiratory function, mobilization, recovery, and patient satisfaction. The Serratus Posterior Superior Intercostal Plane (SPSIP) block is a recently described ultrasound-guided fascial plane block that may provide effective analgesia after thoracic surgery. This prospective observational cohort study will evaluate the analgesic effectiveness and postoperative recovery associated with SPSIP block in adult patients undergoing elective minor video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), major VATS, or thoracotomy. All patients will receive SPSIP block as part of routine institutional multimodal analgesia. The primary outcome will be postoperative quality of recovery assessed using the Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) questionnaire at 24 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes will include postoperative pain intensity, opioid consumption, rescue analgesic requirements, postoperative nausea and vomiting, pulmonary complications, patient satisfaction, length of hospital stay, and chronic postoperative pain.

Conditions

Postoperative Pain

Keywords

Serratus Posterior Superior Intercostal Plane Block; Thoracic Surgery; Regional Anesthesia; Postoperative Analgesia; Quality of Recovery-15

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Quality of Recovery-15 Score at 24 Hours

  Postoperative quality of recovery will be assessed using the 15-item Quality of Recovery questionnaire (QoR-15). Higher scores indicate better postoperative recovery. QoR-15 scores will be compared among the minor VATS, major VATS, and thoracotomy cohorts.

  24 hours after surgery

Secondary Outcomes (23)

• Total Opioid Consumption During the First 24 Postoperative Hours

  0 to 24 hours after surgery

• Pain Intensity at Rest Upon Admission to the PACU

  Upon admission to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU)

• Pain Intensity at Rest at 2 Hours

  2 hours after the end of surgery

• Pain Intensity at Rest at 6 Hours

  6 hours after the end of surgery

• Pain Intensity at Rest at 12 Hours

  12 hours after the end of surgery

Study Arms (3)

Minor VATS

Adult patients undergoing elective minor video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) under general anesthesia who receive an ultrasound-guided Serratus Posterior Superior Intercostal Plane (SPSIP) block as part of routine institutional multimodal analgesia. The surgical procedure and regional analgesic technique are determined as part of routine clinical care and are not assigned by the study protocol.

Procedure: Ultrasound-Guided Serratus Posterior Superior Intercostal Plane Block

Major VATS

Adult patients undergoing elective major video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) under general anesthesia who receive an ultrasound-guided Serratus Posterior Superior Intercostal Plane (SPSIP) block as part of routine institutional multimodal analgesia. The surgical procedure and regional analgesic technique are determined as part of routine clinical care and are not assigned by the study protocol.

Procedure: Ultrasound-Guided Serratus Posterior Superior Intercostal Plane Block

Thoracotomy

Adult patients undergoing elective thoracotomy under general anesthesia who receive an ultrasound-guided Serratus Posterior Superior Intercostal Plane (SPSIP) block as part of routine institutional multimodal analgesia. The surgical procedure and regional analgesic technique are determined as part of routine clinical care and are not assigned by the study protocol.

Procedure: Ultrasound-Guided Serratus Posterior Superior Intercostal Plane Block

Interventions

Ultrasound-Guided Serratus Posterior Superior Intercostal Plane Block PROCEDURE

An ultrasound-guided Serratus Posterior Superior Intercostal Plane (SPSIP) block will be performed after induction of general anesthesia according to routine institutional clinical practice using a long-acting local anesthetic.

Major VATS; Minor VATS; Thoracotomy

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 75 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Adults undergoing elective minor VATS, major VATS, or thoracotomy under general anesthesia who receive SPSIP block as part of routine multimodal analgesia

You may qualify if:

• Age 18 years or older
• American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-III
• Scheduled for elective thoracic surgery
• Undergoing minor video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), major VATS, or thoracotomy
• Planned ultrasound-guided Serratus Posterior Superior Intercostal Plane (SPSIP) block as part of routine multimodal analgesia
• Able and willing to provide written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Patient refusal
• Known allergy to amide local anesthetics
• Coagulopathy
• Therapeutic anticoagulation incompatible with regional anesthesia
• Infection at the planned block injection site
• Pregnancy
• Emergency surgery
• Chronic opioid therapy for more than 3 months
• Chronic pain syndrome
• Cognitive impairment that prevents reliable study assessments
• Inability to complete the Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) questionnaire

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Izmir Katip Celebi University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Izmir Katip Celebi University Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, Karabaglar, Izmir

Izmir, İzmir, 35360, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain, Postoperative

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Study Officials

• Murat Aksun, M.D.

  Izmir Katip Celebi University Atatürk Training and Research Hospital

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Murat Aksun, M.D.

CONTACT

+90 552 363 16 14; murataksun@yahoo.com

Ahmet Salih Tüzen, M.D.

CONTACT

+90 535 391 55 77; astuzen@icloud.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: September 18, 2026
• First Posted: September 30, 2026
• Study Start: October 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2028
• Last Updated: September 30, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)