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Chronic Post Operative PainNCT05816174

Longitudinal Study of Chronic Postsurgical Pain in Children and Adolescents

An observational study of Chronic Post Operative Pain, run by Helen Koechlin at 3 sites in Switzerland.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Chronic postsurgical pain is defined as pain that develops or intensifies following a surgical procedure. After major surgery, around 20% of children and adolescents develop chronic postsurgical pain, and, as part of it, negative consequences on their quality of life. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 8 to 18 years
Conditions the study is for
Chronic Post Operative Pain
How many people
281 participants
Where
3 sitesSwitzerland
Study dates
1 Nov 2023to Jan 2027
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 8 to 18 years
  • All sexes
  • Child, Adult

Study population: Participants between the ages of 8 and 18 years who have a planned orthopedic surgery in one of the participating hospitals will be approached. Participating hospitals are large Swiss university children's hospital.

Who may be able to join

  • Children and adolescents aged between 8 and 18 years
  • Planned orthopedic surgery requiring in-patient care in one of the participating children's hospitals
  • Able to read and understand German

Who cannot join

  • Serious comorbid health condition (e.g., cancer, severe neurological impairment, chronic illness requiring daily medication)
  • Prior major orthopedic surgery (e.g., prior spine surgery)
  • Parent/caregiver and child not able to read and understand German

Trial locations and contacts

3 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Helen Koechlin, PhD contact

4144 266 83 36

helen.koechlin@uzh.ch

Jana Hochreuter, MSc contact

jana.hochreuter@kispi.uzh.ch

Switzerland3 sites, 3 recruiting
  • University Children's Hospital Basel

    Basel

    Carol-Claudius Hasler, Prof, carolclaudius.hasler@ukbb.ch

    Recruiting
  • University Children's Hospital Zurich

    Zurich, 8032

    Helen Koechlin, PhD, helen.koechlin@kispi.uzh.ch

    Jana Hochreuter, MSc., jana.hochreuter@kispi.uzh.ch

    Recruiting
  • University Hospital Balgrist

    Zurich

    Thomas Dreher, Prof, thomas.dreher@kispi.uzh.ch

    Recruiting

Other trials in Switzerland

About this study

Official title: Child and Parent Emotion-related Risk and Resilience Factors Associated With the Transition From Acute to Chronic Pain After Surgery: A Prospective Longitudinal Study

Chronic postsurgical pain is defined as pain that develops or intensifies following a surgical procedure. After major surgery, around 20% of children and adolescents develop chronic postsurgical pain, and, as part of it, negative consequences on their quality of life. Emotion-related factors such as the variability of emotions, how emotions are regulated, and how well someone is able to differentiate between different emotions have in part been studied in other types of chronic pain. To date, no study examined emotion-related factors in the development and maintenance of chronic postsurgical pain. This observational study includes five assessment time points, one before and four after major surgery, with the goal to identify emotion-related factors that increase or decrease the risk for the development of chronic postsurgical pain.

Medical subject headings
Pain, Postoperative

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Chronic postsurgical pain

    Chronic postsurgical pain as defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain, i.e.: greater than minimal pain (pain intensity ≥ 3) on more than 50% of a 7 days period, and impairment in health-related quality of life (score of < 74.9 on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, PedsQL). This results in a binary outcome: chronic postsurgical pain yes vs no.

    Measured: 3 months

  2. Pain trajectories

    Description of pain trajectories over time, i.e., from baseline through FU3 (at 12 months after surgery). We will estimating group-based trajectory models using participants' Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) values of pain intensity at each time point. Higher ratings on the numeric rating scale indicate more pain.

    Measured: 12 months

  3. Emotion-related trajectories

    Description of emotion-related trajectories over time, i.e., from baseline through Follow-up 3 (at 12 months after surgery). We will estimating group-based trajectory models using participants' Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) values of emotional state to calculate emotion differentiation, emotion variability, and emotion regulation at each time point and describe changes over time. Higher values for emotional variability indicate broader range of emotional fluctuations around an individual's mean. Emotion differentiation will be calculated by means of intraclass correlations, with high consistency across predefined episodes indicate poorer differentiation.

    Measured: 12 months

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Physical activity

    Number of steps taken by patients per day, as measured by an ambulatory, non-invasive activity-monitoring device worn around the wrist. Higher number of steps taken suggests more physical activity.

    Measured: 3 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted18 Apr 2023
  2. Study start1 Nov 2023
  3. Primary completionJan 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completionJan 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
281 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05816174
Sponsor's protocol ID
LORRIS
Status last verified
Apr 2026
First submitted
30 Mar 2023
Last updated
29 Apr 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Publications

  • Hochreuter J, Dreher T, Hasler CC, Canonica S, Locher C, Held U, Rabbitts J, Koechlin H. Longitudinal Resilience and Risk Factors in Pediatric Postoperative Pain (LORRIS): Protocol for a Prospective Longitudinal Swiss University Children's Hospitals-Based Study. BMJ Open. 2024 Mar 28;14(3):e080174. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-080174.

    PubMed 38548365

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Chronic Post Operative Pain, run by Helen Koechlin at 3 sites in Switzerland.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 3 sites in Switzerland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Helen Koechlin, PhD (4144 266 83 36, helen.koechlin@uzh.ch), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Chronic postsurgical pain (time frame: 3 months). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05816174, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 29 Apr 2026.

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