An observational study in Postoperative Pain and Nephrectomy, sponsored by Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Research and Training Hospital. Recruiting at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years to 80 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-10.
Sponsored by Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Research and Training Hospital · Observational
The goal of this observational study is to learn about the effects of two pain control techniques used after laparoscopic nephrectomy (kidney removal surgery) in adults. The study will compare Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) block and External Oblique Rectus Abdominis (EXORA) block, which are both used as part of routine medical care to help control pain after surgery.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Do ESP block and EXORA block differ in how well they control pain after surgery? Do ESP block and EXORA block differ in their effects on recovery quality and the need for additional pain medication?
Researchers will compare participants who receive ESP block with participants who receive EXORA block as part of routine clinical care.
Participants will:
Undergo laparoscopic nephrectomy according to routine clinical practice. Receive either ESP block or EXORA block based on the treating anesthesiologist's usual clinical preference.
Complete a recovery questionnaire before surgery and 24 hours after surgery. Have pain scores, use of additional pain medication, nausea and vomiting, and other routine postoperative measurements recorded during the first 24 hours after surgery.
In routine practice at our institution, anesthesia clinicians performing laparoscopic nephrectomy administer either an Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) block or an External Oblique Rectus Abdominis (EXORA) block based solely on individual clinician preference. The researcher does not influence this decision. Among the eligible patients, those receiving either ESP or EXORA block will be included and evaluated observationally. Block types other than these two will not be included.
All postoperative visits and clinical follow-ups are routinely conducted by the hospital's pain management team. The researcher does not intervene in these clinical processes and is only responsible for obtaining informed consent, recording demographic variables, documenting the type of block performed, and administering the QoR-15 questionnaire preoperatively and at postoperative 24 hours.
Preoperative evaluation and necessary laboratory testing are carried out according to standard hospital practice by the attending anesthesiologist. In the operating room, standard monitoring (non-invasive blood pressure, ECG, heart rate, and oxygen saturation) is applied. Anesthesia induction is performed using standard agents and general anesthesia is maintained according to the clinician's routine practice.
For postoperative analgesia, all patients routinely receive intravenous paracetamol 1 g every 8 hours. Rescue analgesia consists of intravenous tramadol 1 mg/kg when NRS ≥4. After surgery, patients are monitored in the PACU and transferred to the ward once their Aldrete score is ≥9.
Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are assessed using a verbal descriptive scale (0-4) and intravenous ondansetron 4 mg is administered for PONV ≥2.
Adult patients aged 18-80 years undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomy and receiving either an Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) block or an External Oblique Rectus Abdominis (EXORA) block according to routine clinical practice.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomy who receive Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) block as part of routine clinical care.
Procedure: Erector Spinae Plane Block
Participants undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomy who receive External Oblique Rectus Abdominis (EXORA) block as part of routine clinical care.
Procedure: External Oblique Rectus Abdominis Block
An ultrasound-guided Erector Spinae Plane (ESP) block is performed under general anesthesia prior to extubation as part of routine clinical practice. After aseptic preparation, a linear ultrasound probe is placed over the T10 transverse process on the surgical side. The needle is advanced into the fascial plane between the erector spinae muscle and the transverse process. Following negative aspiration and confirmation of correct needle placement with hydrodissection, 30 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine is injected. The procedure is performed by anesthesiologists according to routine clinical practice without researcher involvement in clinical decision-making.
Also known as: ESP BLock
An ultrasound-guided External Oblique Rectus Abdominis (EXORA) block is performed under general anesthesia prior to extubation as part of routine clinical practice. After aseptic preparation, a linear ultrasound probe is positioned in the parasternal sagittal plane lateral to the xiphoid process at the level of the 8th costal cartilage on the surgical side. The needle is advanced into the fascial plane between the rectus abdominis and external oblique muscles. Following negative aspiration and confirmation of correct needle placement with hydrodissection, 30 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine is injected. The procedure is performed by anesthesiologists according to routine clinical practice without researcher involvement in clinical decision-making.
Also known as: EXORA Block
Postoperative Pain Score (NRS)
Postoperative pain will be assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS, 0-10). Pain scores will be recorded at 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery and will be compared between Group E and Group X. The Numeric Rating Scale ranges from 0 to 10 (0 = no pain, 10 = worst imaginable pain); higher scores indicate worse pain.
Time frame: Postoperative 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours
Rescue Analgesic Requirement
The requirement for rescue analgesia and the total amount of postoperative tramadol consumption during the first 24 hours will be recorded and compared between Group E and Group X.
Time frame: First 24 hours after surgery
Quality of Recovery (QoR-15 Score)
Quality of recovery will be assessed using the validated Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) questionnaire. Scores will be compared between Group E and Group X. The QoR-15 total score ranges from 0 to 150, with higher scores indicating better quality of recovery.
Time frame: Preoperative baseline and postoperative 24th hour
Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) Score
Postoperative nausea and vomiting will be assessed using a verbal descriptive scale from 0 to 4 (0 = none, 1 = mild, 2 = moderate, 3 = single vomiting episode, 4 = multiple vomiting episodes). Scores will be compared between Group E and Group X.
Time frame: Postoperative 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data will not be shared because the study protocol does not include a data-sharing plan and the collected data will be used only for the purposes of the current study.
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
Contact study teamGet an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Research and Training Hospital