ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT03349034Updated Nov 17, 2020Results posted

Local Infusion of Ropivacaine for Post-Op Pain Control After Osseocutaneous Free Flaps

A Phase 2 interventional study of Ropivicaine and Local Saline Infusion in Head and Neck Cancer and Free Tissue Transfer, sponsored by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2020-11-17.

Sponsored by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · Phase 2, Interventional, and Supportive care

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
24
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Head and neck oncologic surgery often requires the use of free tissue transfer, or microvascular reconstruction, to reconstruct defects created by tumor resections. Although there are several techniques for the reconstruction of defects, resection of large tumors leave defects that require the transfer of vascularized tissue from one part of the body to repair the defect. For example, the removal of a segment of diseased mandible requires free tissue transfer containing the component parts - skin, muscle, and bone - to reconstruct the deficit created by the resection of the tumor. Over the years, microvascular surgeons have focused their attention on maximizing the success of these technically difficult surgeries. However, now, with free flap reconstruction rates in excess of 95%, surgeons are afforded the opportunity to turn their focus toward the morbidities associated with these surgeries. While much has been published about donor site wound healing, pain control in the post-operative period has largely been neglected in the head and neck reconstruction literature. Systemic analgesia with opioids is standard of care, which has been shown to lead to increased confusion, significantly increased length of stay and increased risk of pulmonary complications. In addition, it has been shown that early mobilization and optimal wound care can decrease donor site morbidity.

In this study the clinical team aims to better control donor site pain utilizing local, targeted analgesia to relieve pain at the donor site for osseocutaneous free-flaps. To reduce confounding and bias, the study will be a double-blind prospective randomized placebo controlled trial wherein patients undergoing osseocutaneous free flap surgery will be randomized to receive continuous infusion of ropivacaine or normal saline (placebo) via local continuous infusion catheter, which will be placed intraoperatively at the time of donor site closure. Patients' pain will be monitored for the first 48hrs after surgery. Donor site and global pain at rest will be evaluated every 8 hours for the first two postoperative days using a visual analogue pain scale (VAS). Essentially, there is a 100 millimeter line drawn on a piece of paper, with "no pain" marking the left end of the line and "worst pain" marking the right end of the line. Subjects mark with a pen along the line where pain is felt fits along that continuum. A researcher then measures how far along the line that mark is placed and then it is recorded. Median daily opiate use via PCA will also be tracked. Donor site-specific range of motion and strength will be assessed with a formal physical therapy evaluation on post-operative day 2 or soonest non-holiday weekday. Information on patient satisfaction, time to ambulation, and length of stay will also be collected. Subgroup analysis will be performed.

Read the detailed description

Procedures involved in this study include:

  • Intraoperatively, following procurement of the fibula or scapula bone graft and at the time of surgical wound closure, all patients will receive the placement of a continuous infusion catheter into the donor site wound bed. The infusion reservoir will be connected to a catheter-based On-Q pump, and the catheter will be placed in the donor site. A stab incision separate from the surgical wound will be used to bring the catheter through the skin. Patients will be randomized to receive 6 ml/hr of 0.2% Ropivacaine or 6 ml/hr of normal saline via the infusion reservoir. The catheter will be left in place with continuous infusion for first 48 hours of the post-operative period. The catheters will be removed by the housestaff on POD2. There is minimal risk to removing the OnQ catheter. Any opening in the skin will be covered with gauze to allow primary healing. Solutions of saline and ropivacaine will be prepared and made available for infusion by the Mount Sinai Pharmacy. Solutions will be blinded, and identical in appearance. Patients will be assigned to ropivacaine or saline intervention by the research pharmacy through coded envelopes. Patients, physicians, nurses, and research personnel will be blinded to treatment assignment. Every 8 hours for the first 48 hours, patients will be asked to complete a visual analogue scale (VAS) for reporting their pain. The VAS will be performed six times over the course of the 48hrs. These will be performed during regular flap check monitoring, to ensure patients are not disrupted additional times throughout the day for this study. Patients will otherwise receive standard of care pain management, including Tylenol 650 q6hr standing as well as a dilaudid PCA set to low-dose, opioid naïve. On post-operative day 2 patient will receive a physical therapy evaluation.

Prior to discharge from the hospital, the study subjects will be asked to complete a brief survey (APS-POQ-R Pain Survey) regarding their experience, with regard to pain management.

02

Conditions studied

  • Head and Neck Cancer
  • Free Tissue Transfer

Keywords

  • Local anesthetics
  • Randomized Control Trial
  • Free tissue transfer
  • Head and neck
  • Microvascular
  • Postoperative Pain
03

In context

Head and Neck Neoplasms

2,710 studies on the registry are indexed under Head and Neck Neoplasms; 594 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 24 is below the median of 46 across 2,032 interventional studies indexed under Head and Neck Neoplasms.

Browse Head and Neck Neoplasms studies →

Lead sponsor

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is the lead sponsor of 776 studies on the registry; 176 are open to participants now.

Of its 125 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 83 (66%) have results posted.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
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

  • Patients receiving osseocutaneous free tissue transfer regardless of the indication for free tissue transfer.

This includes osseocutaneous tissue from fibula and scapula

  • Age ≥ 18

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients unable to understand the research protocol and/or provide
  • Patients under the age of 18
  • Patients with a history of allergic reaction to Ropivacaine or other local amide anesthetics
  • Patients whose participation in this trial would require exclusion from participation in another clinical research trial related to the patient's malignant diagnosis.
  • Patients with previous pain disorders or drug abuse requiring chronic narcotic use.
  • Vulnerable populations (adults unable to consent, individuals who are not yet adults, wards of the state, prisoners)
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

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.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
24 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Test Group

    Local Ropivicaine Infusion

    Drug: Ropivicaine

  • Placebo comparator
    Control Group

    Local Saline Infusion

    Drug: Local Saline Infusion

Interventions

  • Patients will be randomized to receive a local continuous infusion of 6 ml/hr of 0.2% Ropivacaine via On-Q infusion pump, at the donor site, for the first 48 hours of the postoperative period.

  • DrugLocal Saline Infusion

    Patients will be randomized to receive a local continuous infusion of 6 ml/hr of 0.9% normal saline via On-Q infusion pump, at the donor site, for the first 48 hours of the postoperative period.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Post-Operative Pain at Donor-Site

    Pain assessed every 8 hours for the first 48 hours using a visual analogue pain scale at rest. A visual analogue pain scale is a validated pain measure. Essentially, there is a 100 millimeter line drawn on a piece of paper, with "no pain" marking the left end of the line and "worst pain" marking the right end of the line. Subjects mark with a pen along the line where pain is felt fits along that continuum. A researcher then measures how far along the line that mark is placed and then it is recorded. Full scale from 0-100, higher score indicates more pain.

    Time frame: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40 and 48 hours

  2. Post-Operative Pain - Global Pain

    Pain assessed every 8 hours for the first 48 hours using a visual analogue pain scale at rest. A visual analogue pain scale is a validated pain measure. Essentially, there is a 100 millimeter line drawn on a piece of paper, with "no pain" marking the left end of the line and "worst pain" marking the right end of the line. Subjects mark with a pen along the line where pain is felt fits along that continuum. A researcher then measures how far along the line that mark is placed and then it is recorded. Full scale from 0-100, higher score indicates more pain.

    Time frame: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40 and 48 hours

Secondary outcomes

  1. Opioid Consumption

    All subjects receive standing tylenol 650mg every 6 hours as well as a dilaudid PCA set for low-dose, opioid-naive patients for the first 48 hours post-operatively. Total opioid consumption for each subject during the first 48 hours is recorded measured in oral morphine equivalents (OME).

    Time frame: 48 hours

  2. Range of Motion

    At 48 hours all subjects will receive a physical therapy evaluation. Range of motion will be measured in degrees

    Time frame: 48 hours

  3. Distance Ambulated

    At 48 hours all subjects received a physical therapy evaluation. Distance ambulated measured in feet.

    Time frame: 48 hours

  4. Strength

    At 48 hours all subjects received a physical therapy evaluation. Strength measured on a standard neurological 5 point scale: 0 = Complete Paralysis to 5 = Normal Power.

    Time frame: 48 hours

  5. American Pain Society-Patient Outcome Questionnaire - (APS-POQ-R)

    Pain question on APS-POQ-R - A standardized pain satisfaction survey distributed to subjects at 48 hours rating their overall satisfaction with postoperative pain management. a 16-item questions measured on a 10-point numeric likert scale, with higher scores indicating more pain. Total range from 0 (no pain) to 200 (severe pain).

    Time frame: 48 hours

07

Results

Posted Nov 17, 2020

Participant flow

Participants undergoing osseocutaneous fibula or scapular tip free flaps for head and neck reconstructionwere enrolled from September 2017 and September 2019.

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestoneSaline PlaceboRopivacaine
Started1212
Completed810
Not completed42
Withdrew: Catheters dislodged during transport20
Withdrew: Intubated for >48 hrs following surgery11
Withdrew: Soft tissue flap used10
Withdrew: Other01

Outcome measures

PrimaryPost-Operative Pain at Donor-Site

Pain assessed every 8 hours for the first 48 hours using a visual analogue pain scale at rest. A visual analogue pain scale is a validated pain measure. Essentially, there is a 100 millimeter line drawn on a piece of paper, with "no pain" marking the left end of the line and "worst pain" marking the right end of the line. Subjects mark with a pen along the line where pain is felt fits along that continuum. A researcher then measures how far along the line that mark is placed and then it is recorded. Full scale from 0-100, higher score indicates more pain.

Time frame:
8, 16, 24, 32, 40 and 48 hours
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Post-Operative Pain at Donor-Site
score on a scaleSaline PlaceboRopivacaine
8 hour52.40 ± 25.3341.14 ± 28.30
16 hour41.00 ± 33.2040.88 ± 31.46
24 hour23.33 ± 29.2845.67 ± 24.87
32 hour25.67 ± 27.2837.44 ± 31.11
40 hour30.12 ± 22.2942.11 ± 30.64
48 hour28.75 ± 21.7230.60 ± 28.30
PrimaryPost-Operative Pain - Global Pain

Pain assessed every 8 hours for the first 48 hours using a visual analogue pain scale at rest. A visual analogue pain scale is a validated pain measure. Essentially, there is a 100 millimeter line drawn on a piece of paper, with "no pain" marking the left end of the line and "worst pain" marking the right end of the line. Subjects mark with a pen along the line where pain is felt fits along that continuum. A researcher then measures how far along the line that mark is placed and then it is recorded. Full scale from 0-100, higher score indicates more pain.

Time frame:
8, 16, 24, 32, 40 and 48 hours
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Post-Operative Pain - Global Pain
score on a scaleSaline PlaceboRopivacaine
8 hour44.00 ± 28.5540.14 ± 32.25
16 hour27.50 ± 23.1826.56 ± 27.03
24 hour31.83 ± 21.2541.56 ± 30.33
32 hour24.17 ± 25.9135.67 ± 32.39
40 hour21.88 ± 20.3633.60 ± 28.76
48 hour20.38 ± 13.4337.40 ± 35.50
SecondaryOpioid Consumption

All subjects receive standing tylenol 650mg every 6 hours as well as a dilaudid PCA set for low-dose, opioid-naive patients for the first 48 hours post-operatively. Total opioid consumption for each subject during the first 48 hours is recorded measured in oral morphine equivalents (OME).

Time frame:
48 hours
Reported as:
Mean · OME
Opioid Consumption
OMESaline PlaceboRopivacaine
Opioid Consumption119.75 ± 145.9291.20 ± 132.14
SecondaryRange of Motion

At 48 hours all subjects will receive a physical therapy evaluation. Range of motion will be measured in degrees

Time frame:
48 hours

No measurements were reported for this outcome.

SecondaryDistance Ambulated

At 48 hours all subjects received a physical therapy evaluation. Distance ambulated measured in feet.

Time frame:
48 hours
Reported as:
Mean · feet
Distance Ambulated
feetSaline PlaceboRopivacaine
Distance Ambulated152 ± 111.980 ± 67.08
SecondaryStrength

At 48 hours all subjects received a physical therapy evaluation. Strength measured on a standard neurological 5 point scale: 0 = Complete Paralysis to 5 = Normal Power.

Time frame:
48 hours
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Strength
score on a scaleSaline PlaceboRopivacaine
Strength2.67 ± 0.822.20 ± 1.10
SecondaryAmerican Pain Society-Patient Outcome Questionnaire - (APS-POQ-R)

Pain question on APS-POQ-R - A standardized pain satisfaction survey distributed to subjects at 48 hours rating their overall satisfaction with postoperative pain management. a 16-item questions measured on a 10-point numeric likert scale, with higher scores indicating more pain. Total range from 0 (no pain) to 200 (severe pain).

Time frame:
48 hours
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
American Pain Society-Patient Outcome Questionnaire - (APS-POQ-R)
score on a scaleSaline PlaceboRopivacaine
American Pain Society-Patient Outcome Questionnaire - (APS-POQ-R)6.0 ± 2.394.3 ± 1.34

Adverse events

Collected over 48 hours post surgery. Non-serious events are listed at a 5% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
Saline Placebo0/8 (0%)0/8 (0%)0/8 (0%)
Ropivacaine0/10 (0%)0/10 (0%)0/10 (0%)

Baseline characteristics

Age, Continuous
Age, Continuous(years)Saline PlaceboRopivacaineTotal
Mean65.1 ± 11.667.1 ± 13.766.2 ± 12.6
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)Saline PlaceboRopivacaineTotal
Female022
Male8816
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected(Participants)Saline PlaceboRopivacaineTotal
Count of participants——0
Body Mass Index
Body Mass Index(kg/m^2)Saline PlaceboRopivacaineTotal
Mean27.2 ± 4.8128.7 ± 4.3928.0 ± 4.51
ASA Physical Status Classification System
ASA Physical Status Classification System(units on a scale)Saline PlaceboRopivacaineTotal
Mean2.88 ± 0.353.10 ± 0.323.0 ± 0.34
Pack Years
Pack Years(cigarettes per day for 1 year)Saline PlaceboRopivacaineTotal
Mean7.75 ± 15.17.30 ± 10.17.5 ± 12.2
Smoking at Diagnosis
Smoking at Diagnosis(Participants)Saline PlaceboRopivacaineTotal
Count of participants011
Number of participants with Alcohol Abuse
Number of participants with Alcohol Abuse(Participants)Saline PlaceboRopivacaineTotal
Count of participants101

6 further baseline measures are reported on the registry.

08

Study locations

1 site
  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
    New York, New York 10129, United States
09

References and documents

Publications

  • Blumenthal S, Dullenkopf A, Rentsch K, Borgeat A. Continuous infusion of ropivacaine for pain relief after iliac crest bone grafting for shoulder surgery. Anesthesiology. 2005 Feb;102(2):392-7. doi: 10.1097/00000542-200502000-00023. PubMed 15681956 ↗
  • Gerbershagen HJ, Aduckathil S, van Wijck AJ, Peelen LM, Kalkman CJ, Meissner W. Pain intensity on the first day after surgery: a prospective cohort study comparing 179 surgical procedures. Anesthesiology. 2013 Apr;118(4):934-44. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e31828866b3. PubMed 23392233 ↗
  • Oderda GM, Said Q, Evans RS, Stoddard GJ, Lloyd J, Jackson K, Rublee D, Samore MH. Opioid-related adverse drug events in surgical hospitalizations: impact on costs and length of stay. Ann Pharmacother. 2007 Mar;41(3):400-6. doi: 10.1345/aph.1H386. Epub 2007 Mar 6. PubMed 17341537 ↗
  • Singh K, Samartzis D, Strom J, Manning D, Campbell-Hupp M, Wetzel FT, Gupta P, Phillips FM. A prospective, randomized, double-blind study evaluating the efficacy of postoperative continuous local anesthetic infusion at the iliac crest bone graft site after spinal arthrodesis. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2005 Nov 15;30(22):2477-83. doi: 10.1097/01.brs.0000186323.11285.b1. Erratum In: Spine. 2006 Jan 1;31(1):43. Dip, Dino Samartzis [corrected to Samartzis, Dino]. PubMed 16284583 ↗
  • Roof S, Ferrandino R, Eden C, Khelemsky Y, Teng M, Genden E, DeMaria S Jr, Miles BA. Local infusion of ropivacaine for pain control after osseous free flaps: Randomized controlled trial. Head Neck. 2021 Apr;43(4):1063-1072. doi: 10.1002/hed.26562. Epub 2021 Feb 23. PubMed 33619855 ↗

Study documents

PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

10

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Ran from Sep 2017 to primary completion in Sep 2019, 24 months.

Results were first posted in Nov 2020, 1 year 1 month after primary completion.

Of 215 non-industry phase 2 interventional studies under Head and Neck Neoplasms, half reached primary completion within 57 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 37 and three quarters within 84. This study's 24 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 259 studies reached it within 51 months; a quarter within 30 and three quarters within 76.

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

Registered
Nov 17, 2017
First posted
Nov 21, 2017
StartActual
Sep 13, 2017
Primary completionActual
Sep 30, 2019
CompletionActual
Sep 30, 2019
Results first posted
Nov 17, 2020
Last update
Nov 17, 2020
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 Nov 17, 2020, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
11

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03349034
Responsible party
Brett Miles (Associate Professor, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai) — Principal investigator
First posted
Nov 21, 2017
Start date
Sep 13, 2017
Primary completion
Sep 30, 2019
Completion
Sep 30, 2019
Results posted
Nov 17, 2020
Last update
Nov 17, 2020

Study contacts

Eric Genden, MD
study chair · Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Brett Miles, MD
principal investigator · Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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