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CompletedNCT02983383Updated Jun 14, 2018

Effect of TAP Block for Postoperative Pain Control After Varicocele Operations.

An interventional study of TAP block group (Group T) and spinal anesthesia in Varicocele, sponsored by Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University. Completed at 1 site in Turkey. Open to male participants aged 18 Years to 45 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2018-06-14.

Sponsored by Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Health services research

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
75
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 45 Years
Sex
Male
01

Study summary

TAP block is the administration of local anesthetic agents into the anatomic neurofascial cavity between the internal oblique and transversus abdominis muscle in the antero-lateral region of the abdomen to block the anterior branches of the thoracic intercostal (T7-T12) and first lumbar (L1) nerves. TAP block may be a good method for postoperative pain control. We aim to show the effect of TAP block administration on analgesic consumption after varicocelectomy operations, side effects linked to analgesic use and analgesic quality.

Read the detailed description

The study will include 50 patients aged from 18-45 years in ASA I-II risk group undergoing varicocelectomy operations under elective conditions, randomized with a lottery method. Patients will be informed of the study and included in the study after giving permission with a patient consent form. Patients will be divided into two groups; TAP group (Group T, n=25) and P (Group P, n=25). Both groups will be taken for operation under spinal anesthesia. Those with contraindications for spinal anesthesia, with coagulopathy, with known allergy to the medications used, with infection in the operated area, and those who do not volunteer will be excluded from the study. At the end of the operation, patients in Group T in the supine position will have a USI probe placed at the middle point between the costal edge and iliac crest (within the Petit triangle) after necessary antiseptic conditions are ensured. Then after the abdominal muscle layers are observed, the needle tip will be advanced through the muscle layers and pass the fascia, feeling the fascial click, monitored by USI in controlled fashion. After feeling the second click (passing the internal oblique muscle fascia), a test dose of 0.5-1 ml saline will be administered to determine the localization of the needle tip. Then noting the location, with frequent aspiration local anesthetic agent will be administered to the neurofascial plane for TAP block. Patients in Group P will have adjuvant added to spinal anesthesia. Patients in both groups will have pain scores assessed at 2, 4, 6, 12 and 24 hours postoperative at rest and coughing with VAS (visual analog scale) (pain severity: 0 no pain to 10 most severe pain experienced to date) and values will be recorded. When patients are in pain, analgesic agent will be administered according to patient controlled analgesia protocol. The time of first requirement for analgesic agent and the amount of analgesic agent used in 24 hours will be recorded for patients. Side effects like postoperative nausea, vomiting, or itching will be noted. Additionally, patient satisfaction will be assessed by asking if the surgical method they experienced was bad, moderate, good or very good and recorded.

02

Conditions studied

  • Varicocele

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Keywords

  • Varicocele
  • TAP block
  • spinal anesthesia
03

In context

Varicocele

53 studies on the registry are indexed under Varicocele; 15 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 75 is close to the median of 72 across 36 interventional studies indexed under Varicocele.

Browse Varicocele studies →

Lead sponsor

Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University is the lead sponsor of 198 studies on the registry; 40 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 45 Years
Sexes eligible
Male
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

18-45 year old patient group

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. for spinal anesthesia
  2. Coagulopathy
  3. Known allergy to medications used
  4. Infection in the operated area
  5. Non-volunteer patient
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(2)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

ASA physical status

The anaesthetists’ scale of health before surgery: I is healthy, II has a mild illness that is under control, III a severe one, IV a severe illness that is a constant threat to life. V and VI are used for the critically ill and for organ donors.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Health services research
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
75 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    TAP block group (Group T)

    At the end of the operation, patients in Group T in the supine position will have a USI probe placed at the middle point between the costal edge and iliac crest (within the Petit triangle) after necessary antiseptic conditions are ensured. Then after the abdominal muscle layers are observed, the needle tip will be advanced through the muscle layers and pass the fascia, feeling the fascial click, monitored by USI in controlled fashion. After feeling the second click (passing the internal oblique muscle fascia), a test dose of 0.5-1 ml saline will be administered to determine the localization of the needle tip. Then noting the location, with frequent aspiration local anesthetic agent will be administered to the neurofascial plane for TAP block.

    Procedure: TAP block group (Group T)

  • Active comparator
    Group without TAP (Group P)

    Patients in Group P will have adjuvant added to spinal anesthesia.

    Procedure: spinal anesthesia

Interventions

  • ProcedureTAP block group (Group T)

    At the end of the operation, patients in Group T in the supine position will have a USI probe placed at the middle point between the costal edge and iliac crest (within the Petit triangle) after necessary antiseptic conditions are ensured. Then after the abdominal muscle layers are observed, the needle (Stimuplex Ultra 22G, 100mm, B.Braun, Germany) tip will be advanced through the muscle layers and pass the fascia, feeling the fascial click, monitored by USI in controlled fashion. After feeling the second click (passing the internal oblique muscle fascia), a test dose of 0.5-1 ml saline will be administered to determine the localization of the needle tip. Then noting the location, with frequent aspiration local anesthetic agent will be administered to the neurofascial plane for TAP block.

  • Procedurespinal anesthesia

    Patients in Group P will have adjuvant added to spinal anesthesia (25 G, Quincke spinal anesthesia needle, Egemen,Turkey).

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. VAS (visual analog scale)

    VAS (visual analog scale) (pain severity: 0 no pain to 10 most severe pain experienced to date) score changes in the postoperative period at rest and coughing

    Time frame: 24 Hours

  2. Postoperative side effects

    questionnaire for postoperative nausea, vomiting, numbness and itching

    Time frame: 24 Hours

  3. Patient satisfaction

    questionnaire for patient satisfaction

    Time frame: 24 Hours

  4. time to first analgesic

    Time frame: 24 hours

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University
    Kahramanmaras, 46000, Turkey
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Ran from Dec 2016 to primary completion in May 2018, 17 months.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Nov 30, 2016
First posted
Dec 6, 2016
StartActual
Dec 2016
Primary completionActual
May 18, 2018
CompletionActual
Jun 13, 2018
Last update
Jun 14, 2018
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jun 14, 2018, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02983383
Responsible party
Ömer Faruk Boran (Assistant Professor, Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Dec 6, 2016
Start date
Dec 2016
Primary completion
May 18, 2018
Completion
Jun 13, 2018
Last update
Jun 14, 2018

Study contacts

Ömer Faruk Boran
study chair · Kahramanmaraş Üniversitesi

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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