Thoracic Surgery Intercostal Block Trial With Liposomal vs. Hydrochloride Bupivacaine

Launched by SHANGHAI PULMONARY HOSPITAL, SHANGHAI, CHINA · Aug 19, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying ways to better manage pain after lung surgery done through small cuts in the chest (called thoracoscopic lung surgery). Specifically, it is comparing two types of pain relief medicines injected near the nerves between the ribs: one that slowly releases medicine over time (liposomal bupivacaine) and a standard, quicker-acting version (bupivacaine hydrochloride). The goal is to see if the slow-release medicine can reduce pain more effectively for longer than the usual treatment or no injection at all, making recovery easier and potentially avoiding complications like lung infections.

People who might join this study are adults aged 18 to 80 who are scheduled for planned lung surgery using this less invasive method and are generally in good health (with some limits on medical conditions). Participants will be randomly assigned to get one of the two medicines or no nerve block during their surgery. After surgery, researchers will track their pain levels, use of pain medications like opioids, and overall recovery for about three days. Those with certain health issues, allergies to the medicines, ongoing pain problems, or who are pregnant won’t be able to join. If you or a loved one is preparing for this type of lung surgery and interested in better pain control, this study might be worth discussing with your doctor.

Gender

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Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Scheduled for elective unilateral thoracoscopic (VATS) lung surgery
• • Age 18 to 80 years
• • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-III
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Contraindication to local anesthetics (infection at puncture site, allergy to local anesthetics, coagulopathy or other bleeding risk)
• • Sensory abnormalities in the planned chest-wall surgical area
• • Hepatic dysfunction (ALT \> 50 U/L, AST \> 40 U/L, or total bilirubin ≥ 19 μmol/L) or renal dysfunction (serum creatinine \> 112 μmol/L, BUN \> 7.1 mmol/L, or dialysis within 28 days before surgery)
• • Pregnancy, breastfeeding, women of childbearing potential not using adequate contraception, or planning pregnancy during the study period
• • Preoperative opioid use, history of chronic pain, or history of opioid abuse
• • Refusal to provide informed consent