Liposomal Bupivacaine/Bupivacaine in Rectus Sheath Blocks Versus Ropivacaine in Rectus Sheath Blocks And Catheters

Phase 4

Recruiting

• Conditions: Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal; Abdominal Aortic Occlusion; Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease; Aortic Diseases
• Interventions: Drug: Liposomal bupivacaine; Drug: Ropivacaine; Drug: Bupivacain

• Registration Number: NCT05972018
• Lead Sponsor: Hartford Hospital

Brief Summary

The goal of this pilot study is to compare single shot rectus sheath blocks of liposomal bupivacaine/bupivacaine mixture to bilateral rectus sheath catheters infused with ropivacaine (standard of care at our facility) in patients undergoing vascular surgery with an open mid-abdominal laparotomy incision. This study will assess the safety and feasibility of this approach compared to standard of care.

Participants will receive either a single dose of liposomal bupivacaine/bupivacaine mixture intraoperatively at the end of surgery through bilateral rectus sheath blocks (LB/B group) or the standard of care ropivacaine intraoperatively at the end of surgery through bilateral rectus sheath blocks with the insertion of bilateral RS catheter for continuous ropivacaine infusion plus repeated daily boluses (Catheter group; standard care). They will be assessed for differences in the rate of postoperative complications, resources consumed with each intervention, as well as postoperative pain scores, opioid consumption, hospital and PACU length of stay, patient's satisfaction, and quality of recovery, and hospital length of stay.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2023-07-17
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-07-25
• Study First Posted: 2023-08-02
• Study Start: 2023-10-18
• Status Verified: 2025-03
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-08-28
• Last Update Posted: 2025-09-03
• Primary Completion: 2026-10-30
• Study Completion: 2026-12-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 14

Inclusion Criteria

1. Patients aged 18-80 years
2. Patients scheduled for elective vascular surgery with an open mid-abdominal laparotomy incision, including abdominal aortic aneurysm repair surgery (AAA), mesenteric artery bypass surgery, and aortobifemoral bypass surgery for aortic occlusive disease.
3. Patients who are able to speak and read English
4. Patients with American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) physical status score I-IV
5. Patients who are admitted to the hospital and are incidentally discovered to require any of the aforementioned surgeries, being asymptomatic for vascular issues, and having their surgery scheduled no sooner than three days after admission, are also considered eligible.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Emergency vascular reconstruction surgery., patients admitted to the hospital due to symptoms directly associated with their vascular condition, such as severe abdominal pain or a ruptured aneurysm causing bleeding, will be excluded.
2. Patients with contraindications to RSB, including but not limited to anatomical abnormality, previous surgical intervention that limits or prevents receiving bilateral RSBs, or infection at the injection site.
3. History of allergy to local anesthetics.
4. Weight < 40 kg, as a combination of 20 mL of Bupivacaine 0.25% with 30 mL of LB is greater than the maximal dose allowed, given concern for local anesthetic toxicity.
5. Patients who take long-acting opioid medication, or on continuous opioid use > 50 MME per day for at least 30 days within 90 days prior to surgery.
6. Patients who have chronic pain syndrome with a recent preoperative consultation with the chronic pain service. Also, patients with distant metastatic cancers (e.g. bone, lung, brain) confirmed by CT scan.
7. Patients with current substance abuse, or history of substance abuse within 3 months, this includes any illicit drugs (not including marijuana) or excessive alcohol consumption as defined as 4 or more drinks per day or 8 or more drinks per week for women and 5 or more drinks per day or 15 or more drinks per week for men.
8. Lack or refusal to sign the study consent.
9. Patients who are unable to receive postoperative ropivacaine intermittent boluses within the first 5 days after surgery due to issues with their catheter (such as dislodgement, migration, or kinking) will be excluded from the final analysis.
10. Patients with a plan to undergo abdominal wall surgery, in addition to the vascular surgery that involves a mid-abdomen incision, such as abdominal wall reconstruction surgery. The additional abdominal wall incisions or interventions might have an impact on the study's pain, opioid, and LOS outcomes.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
RSB LB/B	Liposomal bupivacaine	Rectus Sheath Block: Total 60mL: (20mL 1.3% LB + 30mL 0.25% bupivacaine + 10mL NS) (30mL per side)
RSB LB/B	Bupivacain	Rectus Sheath Block: Total 60mL: (20mL 1.3% LB + 30mL 0.25% bupivacaine + 10mL NS) (30mL per side)
RSB/RSC Ropivacaine	Ropivacaine	Rectus Sheath Block: Total 60mL of 0.2% ropivacaine (3 vials) (30mL per side) \+ Rectus Sheath Catheter intermittent hourly boluses of 0.2% ropivacaine 10mL/hr per side

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
The cost of care during hospitalization.	From the time of the blocks until the date of discharge, assessed as 2 weeks	To compare the resources consumed by each intervention from many different perspectives (e.g. anesthesia staff cost per time spent to perform the study intervention and the successive daily evaluations, facility cost per length of stay, block and catheter medication cost, block and catheter supply cost.)
The occurrence of block-related and catheter-related complications, or local anesthetics-related adverse events up to hospital discharge or up to one week.	From the date of the block until the date of discharge, assessed up to 1 week	Determine whether patients receiving ropivacaine in rectus sheath catheter versus Bupivacaine/Liposomal Bupivacaine in rectus sheath block have any difference in the occurrence of any related complications or adverse events up to hospital discharge or up to one week.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting	Up to 96 postoperative hours	Compare the occurrence of postoperative nausea and vomiting using the Simplified Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting Impact Scale which consists of two questions, with a possible response total score of 0-6. Response score totals of 0-2 require no intervention. Response score totals of 3-4 may necessitate antiemetic medication. Response score totals of 5-6 are considered clinically important nausea requiring medication intervention, as this would constitute patients with excessive vomiting. This scale will be used daily through the duration of in-hospital care (1-7 days)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Postoperative pain scores.	Intensive Care Unit time duration and up to 96 postoperative hours	The maximum, average, minimum, and current pain scores for the past 24 hours, on a scale from 0-10 where 0 is no pain and 10 is severe pain reported by participants, daily and up to the end of the 96 postoperative hours and at 2 weeks after discharge using the validated tool; Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form.
The time to extubation	From anesthesia end date and time to the date and time of extubation, assessed up to 96 postoperative hours	The time to extubation: from anesthesia end time to the time of removing the endotracheal tube in the Intensive Care Unit.
Intraop, postop, and total opioid consumption	During hospitalization up to 7 post-operative days	The intraoperative, postoperative, and total opioid consumption during hospitalization using morphine milliequivalent doses (MME) between the groups.
Hospital and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS)	From the date and time of admission to the date and time of discharge, up to 2 weeks.	Determine whether patients receiving ropivacaine in RSC versus B/LB in RSB have any the difference in the duration of ICU stay, in addition to the duration of hospitalization if \> or \< 7 days.
Hospital readmission and ED visits	up to 2 weeks after discharge	Incidences of hospital readmission and emergency visits within 2 weeks after discharge
Quality of Recovery-40 Questionnaire	On postop day 4, at 2 weeks after discharge	Determine any differences between the two groups in the quality of recovery using the "Quality of Recovery Questionnaire-40 questionnaire" which consists of 40 questions categorized into 5 dimensions; emotional state (9 questions), physical comfort (12 questions), psychological support (7 questions), physical independence (5 questions), and pain (7 questions). All questions scored from 1-5; positive items are scored from 1 (worst) to 5 (best); whereas scores are reversed for negative items 1 (best) to 5 (worst).
Patient satisfaction with pain management using CSAT	At discharge and at 2 weeks after the discharge, up to 96 postoperative hours	Patient satisfaction with pain management after surgery using the CSAT score: 5 very satisfied, 4 satisfied, 3 neutral, 2 unsatisfied, 1 very unsatisfied. this assessment on the day of discharge (estimated 168 postoperative hours) and at 2 weeks after discharge, via a phone call.
The time to the first rescue opioid.	Up to 96 postoperative hour	The time from the last intraoperative opioid given to the time of the first rescue opioid given after surgery is measured in hours.
The time to first postop antiemetics	Up to 96 postoperative hour	The time from the last intraoperative antiemetic medication given to the time of the first rescue antiemetic medication given after surgery is measured in hours.
Opioid use and refills within 2 weeks after hospital discharge	Up to 2 weeks after discharge	Opioid use and refills within 2 weeks after hospital discharge (yes or no)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Hartford Hospital; 🇺🇸 Hartford, Connecticut, United States