AzTrials
AzTrials

Shoulder Pain , Laparoscopic CholecystectomyNCT07450781

The Impact of Saline Temperature and Local Anesthetic Adjuvants on Postoperative Shoulder Pain and Inflammatory Marker Levels Following Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

A study testing Room-temperature saline (25-30 ml/kg ) irrigation without local anesthetic., Room-temperature saline (25-30 ml/kg l) with local anesthetic ( 0.25% bupivacaine according to body weight). and Warm saline (37°C, 25-30 ml/kg ) irrigation without local anesthetic. in people with Shoulder Pain , Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy, run by Alexandria University at 1 site in Egypt.

Enrolling by invitation

Enrolling by invitation. The study team selects and invites participants, usually from an existing group of patients.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become the gold standard for the operative treatment of gallbladder disease due to its minimally invasive nature and improved patient outcomes. However, postoperative pain remains a significant concern following this procedure, affecting patient comfort, recovery, potential for same… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 years
What is being tested?
Room-temperature saline (25-30 ml/kg ) irrigation without local anesthetic., Room-temperature saline (25-30 ml/kg l) with local anesthetic ( 0.25% bupivacaine according to body weight). and Warm saline (37°C, 25-30 ml/kg ) irrigation without local anesthetic.
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
216 participants
Where
1 siteEgypt
Study dates
1 Feb 2026to 1 Aug 2027
Phase
Interventional
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 18 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Adults aged 18-65 years.
  • Scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy
  • Informed consent obtained.

Who cannot join

  • 1 - Allergies to anesthetics or saline. 2-Previous shoulder surgery. 3-Significant comorbidities (e.g., chronic pain syndromes, autoimmune diseases). 4-Pregnancy or lactation.
  • 5-Current use of anti-inflammatory medications or steroids

Trial locations and contacts

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

Egypt1 site
  • medical research institute , Alexandrria university

    Alexandria

Other trials in Egypt

About this study

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become the gold standard for the operative treatment of gallbladder disease due to its minimally invasive nature and improved patient outcomes. However, postoperative pain remains a significant concern following this procedure, affecting patient comfort, recovery, potential for same day discharge and overall satisfaction. However, visceral pain, port-site pain, and referred shoulder pain are occasionally reported in laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients . Postoperative shoulder pain is a common complication following laparoscopic cholecystectomy, often attributed to diaphragmatic irritation.

Read the detailed description

This study will be a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial with a factorial design, consisting of six groups based on saline temperature and the presence of local anesthetic adjuvants:

Group A1: Room-temperature saline (25-30 ml/kg ) irrigation without local anesthetic.

Group A2: Room-temperature saline (25-30 ml/kg l) with local anesthetic ( 0.25% bupivacaine according to body weight).

Group B1: Warm saline (37°C, 25-30 ml/kg ) irrigation without local anesthetic. Group B2: Warm saline (37°C, 25-30 ml/kg) with local anesthetic (0.25% bupivacaine).

Group C1: No saline irrigation. Group C2: No saline irrigation but with local anesthetic (local anesthetic instillation at trocar sites).

Intervention: All of the patients will not premedicated . The anesthesia will be induced along with lidocaine 1 mg/kg, propofol 1.5 mg/kg, and rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg intravenous, and was maintained with sevoflurane (2-3%). The intraoperative and postoperative pain will be controlled with intravenous fentanyl 2-3 μg/kg. All the laparoscopic cholecystectomies (LCs) will be performed by the same team of experienced professionals. A pneumoperitoneum will be created by insufflating CO2 gas through a 10- mm trocar in the umbilicus, and will be maintained at 12 mmHg throughout the surgery. Prior to the surgery, all patients will be moved into a reverse Trendelenburg position with a left tilt (10°), and the LC will be conducted using the standard 4-port technique. After complete hemostasis, a drain insertion will be selectively performed only in cases with intraoperative bile leakage. The patients will then randomly divided into 6 groups Saline irrigation will be performed after the removal of the gallbladder but before the closure of the trocar incisions. Local anesthetic (bupivacaine: 0.25%) will be added to the saline solution in groups A2 and B2 or administered to the subdiaphragmatic area in the no-irrigation group (C2).

A standardized postoperative analgesic regimen will be consisting of 8 h interval regular IV ketorolac 30mg and Patient controlled analgesia (PCA) that will be started at the PACU and continued during the first 24 h postoperatively. PCA device will be used for all patients to deliver a continuous IV infusion of 0.3 mg/h of morphine and a bolus of 1 mg IV morphine with a 20 min lockout time.

Outcome Measures Primary Endpoint: Postoperative Shoulder Pain Intensity: VAS scores recorded at 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively.

Secondary Endpoints: Postoperative Abdominal Pain): Patients will rate their abdominal pain intensity on a scale of 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain) using, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at 6 ,12,18,24 and 48 hours. Total Postoperative Analgesic Consumption:,Total amount of opioid and non-opioid analgesics used in the first 72 hours.Time to First Rescue Analgesic: Time from the end of surgery to the first administration of rescue analgesics (e.g., opioid).Length of Postoperative Hospital Stay: Duration from the end of surgery to discharge.Patient Satisfaction with Pain Control: Patients will complete a satisfaction questionnaire during the first 72 hours. Incidence of Postoperative Shoulder Pain: Proportion of patients reporting shoulder pain during the first 72 hours.

Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV): Document the occurrence of nausea and vomiting postoperatively.Time to Return to Normal Activities: Time to return to normal daily activities, including mobility and routine tasks, measured postoperatively.Blood Levels of Inflammatory Markers: C-Reactive Protein (CRP): Measured preoperatively and at 24 and 72 hours postoperatively.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6): Measured preoperatively and at 24 and 72 hours postoperatively. Blood samples will be collected and analyzed using ELISA or another validated assay

Being tested
Room-temperature saline (25-30 ml/kg ) irrigation without local anesthetic., Room-temperature saline (25-30 ml/kg l) with local anesthetic ( 0.25% bupivacaine according to body weight)., Warm saline (37°C, 25-30 ml/kg ) irrigation without local anesthetic., Warm saline (37°C, 25-30 ml/kg) with local anesthetic (0.25% bupivacaine)., No saline irrigation.
Medical subject headings
Shoulder Pain

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Room-temperature saline (25-30 ml/kg ) irrigation without local anesthetic.Other

    Room-temperature saline (25-30 ml/kg ) irrigation without local anesthetic.

  • Room-temperature saline (25-30 ml/kg l) with local anesthetic ( 0.25% bupivacaine according to body weight).Other

    Room-temperature saline (25-30 ml/kg l) with local anesthetic ( 0.25% bupivacaine according to body weight).

  • Warm saline (37°C, 25-30 ml/kg ) irrigation without local anesthetic.Other

    Warm saline (37°C, 25-30 ml/kg ) irrigation without local anesthetic.

  • Warm saline (37°C, 25-30 ml/kg) with local anesthetic (0.25% bupivacaine).Other

    Warm saline (37°C, 25-30 ml/kg) with local anesthetic (0.25% bupivacaine).

  • No saline irrigation.Other

    No saline irrigation.

  • No saline irrigation but with local anesthetic (local anesthetic instillation at trocar sites).Other

    No saline irrigation but with local anesthetic (local anesthetic instillation at trocar sites).

Study groups in NCT07450781
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Room-temperature saline without local anesthetic.ExperimentalNot described
Receives: Other: Room-temperature saline (25-30 ml/kg ) irrigation without local anesthetic.
Room-temperature saline with local anesthetic bupivacaineExperimentalNot described
Receives: Other: Room-temperature saline (25-30 ml/kg l) with local anesthetic ( 0.25% bupivacaine according to body weight).
Warm saline irrigation without local anesthetic.ExperimentalNot described
Receives: Other: Warm saline (37°C, 25-30 ml/kg ) irrigation without local anesthetic.
Warm saline with local anestheticExperimentalNot described
Receives: Other: Warm saline (37°C, 25-30 ml/kg) with local anesthetic (0.25% bupivacaine).
No saline irrigation.ExperimentalNot described
Receives: Other: No saline irrigation.
No saline irrigation but with local anestheticExperimentalNot described
Receives: Other: No saline irrigation but with local anesthetic (local anesthetic instillation at trocar sites).

What is being measured

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

  1. Postoperative Shoulder Pain Intensity: VAS scores recorded at 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively.

    Postoperative Shoulder Pain Intensity: VAS scores recorded at 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively.

    Measured: 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively.

Timeline

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

  1. First posted5 Mar 2026
  2. Study start1 Feb 2026
  3. Primary completion1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completion1 Aug 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
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Health services research
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
216 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07450781
Sponsor's protocol ID
Postoperative Shoulder Pain
Status last verified
Aug 2025
First submitted
1 Mar 2026
Last updated
17 Mar 2026
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: through clinical trials

Publications

  • Rosero EB, Joshi GP. Hospital readmission after ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy: incidence and predictors. J Surg Res. 2017 Nov;219:108-115. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2017.05.071. Epub 2017 Jun 28.

    PubMed 29078868

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Room-temperature saline (25-30 ml/kg ) irrigation without local anesthetic., Room-temperature saline (25-30 ml/kg l) with local anesthetic ( 0.25% bupivacaine according to body weight). and Warm saline (37°C, 25-30 ml/kg ) irrigation without local anesthetic. in people with Shoulder Pain , Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy, run by Alexandria University at 1 site in Egypt.

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 2 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: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Egypt. 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?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Postoperative Shoulder Pain Intensity: VAS scores recorded at 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively. (time frame: 6, 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively.). 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 NCT07450781, 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 17 Mar 2026.

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