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CompletedNCT04440475SACROTAPUpdated Sep 19, 2024

Tap Block vs Conventional Pain Medication for Patients Undergoing Robotic Sacrocolpopexy

An interventional study of TAP block in Anesthesia, Local, Prolapse and Prolapse; Female, sponsored by ProMedica Health System. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-09-19.

Sponsored by ProMedica Health System · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
40
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to assess whether the transversus abdominis plane block (Tap block) is different than the oral postoperative pain medications in controlling pain after robotic sacrocolpopexy.

Read the detailed description

Sacrocolpopexy is a procedure to correct prolapse of the vaginal apex (top of the vagina) in women who have had a previous hysterectomy. The operation is designed to restore the vagina to its normal position and function. Pain management is an important aspect of perioperative anesthetic care. Acute postoperative pain control impacting surgical outcomes remains a controversial topic

The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block was first presented by Rafi in 2001 as a landmark-guided technique via the triangle of Petit to achieve a field block. It involves the injection of a local anesthetic between the internal oblique muscle and transversus abdominis muscle. The thoracolumbar nerves originating from the T6 to L1 spinal roots run into this plane and supply sensory nerves to the anterolateral abdominal wall, the local anesthetic in this plane can block the neural afferents and provide analgesia to the anterolateral abdominal wall. The Tap block is a widely used procedure to help in postoperative pain management, it is easily performed, cost-effective, with minimal procedure-related morbidity. The use of Tap block is in concordance with several of the goals of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Pathways (ERAS). In a systematic review comparing Tap bloc to no tap block for post-hysterectomy pain found that visual analog score (VAS) was lower in patients receiving tap block in both open and laparoscopic hysterectomy procedures. The study found no significant difference in the amount of morphine used by patients who underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy and received a tap block. Currently the standard of care at Promedica hospitals is to give patients oral medications to control postop pain after sacrocolpopexy. Patients are offered to receive a tap block or no, and it is up to the patient to receive the tap block or no.

No Studies on Tap block after Sacrocolpopexy have been published yet. Our hypothesis is that Tap block will reduce the need for pain meds during the first 24 to 48 hours after sacrocolpopexy.

02

Conditions studied

  • Anesthesia, Local
  • Prolapse
  • Prolapse; Female
  • Prolapse, Vaginal
  • Prolapse; Vagina, Posthysterectomy
  • Pain, Postoperative
03

In context

Uterine Prolapse

111 studies on the registry are indexed under Uterine Prolapse; 20 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 40 is below the median of 70 across 81 interventional studies indexed under Uterine Prolapse.

Browse Uterine Prolapse studies →

Lead sponsor

ProMedica Health System is the lead sponsor of 15 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.

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

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Adults 18 years of age or older
  • Planning for surgical treatment of Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) with robotic sacrocolpopexy and rectocele repair under general anesthesia
  • Patient undergoing concurrent hysterectomy and/or sub-urethral sling will be included

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant or nursing
  • Allergy to ropivicaine
  • History of drug/alcohol abuse
  • Severe cardiovascular, hepatic, renal disease, or neurological impairment Long-acting opioid use within 3 days or any opioid use within 24 hours before surgery
  • Contraindication to: acetaminophen, tramadol, non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAID)
  • Administration of an investigational drug within 30 days before study
  • Chronic pain syndromes
  • Daily NSAID/opioid use
  • Patients not undergoing general anesthesia
  • Patients undergoing concurrent transvaginal mesh removal, anal sphincteroplasty, or fistula repair
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
40 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Tap Block

    TAP block at the end of the surgery, in addition to conventional postoperative oral medication as needed postoperative conventional oral medication as needed: Acetaminophen 650 mg Q 6 hours Ibuprofen 600 mg Q 6 hours Tramadol 50 mg Q 6 hours

    Procedure: TAP block

  • No intervention
    Conventional postoperative oral medication

    postoperative conventional oral medication as needed: Acetaminophen 650 mg Q 6 hours Ibuprofen 600 mg Q 6 hours Tramadol 50 mg Q 6 hours

Interventions

  • ProcedureTAP block

    Tap block description: The skin is prepped and draped in a sterile fashion for a lateral to posterior/lateral approach to the Transverse Abdominis Plane (TAP). The Anesthesiologists use ultrasound guidance for all TAP blocks and pre mix 60cc of 0.2% ropivicaine with 10mg of preservative free dexamethasone. After the plane is identified in approximately the mid axillary line, a 17g Tuohy needle is used under ultrasound guidance to enter the potential space from an anterior approach. The needle is visualized in-plane with the ultrasound probe, traversing the exterior and interior oblique muscles and penetrating through the posterior fascia of internal oblique into the transverse abdominal plane. Once the Tuohy is in place, the needle is aspirated and the plane is hydro-dissected using 0.2% Ropivicaine with 10mg of dexamethasone. The anesthesiologist will use 30ml of 0.2% Ropivicaine on each side.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. amount of postoperative oral pain medication

    amount of postoperative oral pain medication used by patient after surgery

    Time frame: 48 hours

  2. Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scale improvement

    Numeric rating scale for pain will be assessed (0-10: 0 being no pain, 10 being the worst pain possible)

    Time frame: 48 hours

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Study locations

1 site
  • Promedica Toledo Hospital
    Toledo, Ohio 43606, United States
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Yu N, Long X, Lujan-Hernandez JR, Succar J, Xin X, Wang X. Transversus abdominis-plane block versus local anesthetic wound infiltration in lower abdominal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Anesthesiol. 2014 Dec 15;14:121. doi: 10.1186/1471-2253-14-121. eCollection 2014. PubMed 25580086 ↗
  • Rafi AN. Abdominal field block: a new approach via the lumbar triangle. Anaesthesia. 2001 Oct;56(10):1024-6. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2044.2001.02279-40.x. No abstract available. PubMed 11576144 ↗
  • Rozen WM, Tran TM, Ashton MW, Barrington MJ, Ivanusic JJ, Taylor GI. Refining the course of the thoracolumbar nerves: a new understanding of the innervation of the anterior abdominal wall. Clin Anat. 2008 May;21(4):325-33. doi: 10.1002/ca.20621. PubMed 18428988 ↗
  • Kim AJ, Yong RJ, Urman RD. The Role of Transversus Abdominis Plane Blocks in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Pathways for Open and Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A. 2017 Sep;27(9):909-914. doi: 10.1089/lap.2017.0337. Epub 2017 Jul 25. PubMed 28742435 ↗
  • Bacal V, Rana U, McIsaac DI, Chen I. Transversus Abdominis Plane Block for Post Hysterectomy Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2019 Jan;26(1):40-52. doi: 10.1016/j.jmig.2018.04.020. Epub 2018 Apr 30. PubMed 29723644 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared with other researchers, data will be destroyed 3 years after study completion

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 19, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04440475
Lead sponsor
ProMedica Health System
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jun 19, 2020
Start date
Jun 28, 2020
Primary completion
Aug 30, 2021
Completion
Jan 30, 2022
Last update
Sep 19, 2024

Study contacts

Dani Zoorob, MD
principal investigator · ProMedica Health System

Oversight

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

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This study is completed, as verified in Sep 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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