NCT06326320

Combined SAPB in MICS

Completed NA Last updated 11 July 2025

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Combined SAPB in Serratus Anterior Plane Block in 20 participants. Completed in 25 June 2025.

Timeline

7 February 2024

Primary endpoint
10 June 2025

25 June 2025

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Ankara City Hospital Bilkent
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	na
Design	single group
Masking	none
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	20
Start date	7 February 2024
Primary completion	10 June 2025
Estimated completion	25 June 2025
Sites	1 location across Turkey (Türkiye)

Drugs / interventions tested

• Combined SAPB

Conditions studied

• Serratus Anterior Plane Block — all drugs for Serratus Anterior Plane Block →
• Acute Pain — all drugs for Acute Pain →
• Postoperative Analgesia — all drugs for Postoperative Analgesia →
• Minimal Invasive Cardiac Surgery — all drugs for Minimal Invasive Cardiac Surgery →

Sponsor

Ankara City Hospital Bilkent

Who can join

Adults 18 to 80, any sex, with Serratus Anterior Plane Block or Acute Pain. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

Minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) has begun to be performed frequently in recent years. Compared to sternotomy, MISC reduces the risk of mediastinitis, leaves a more aesthetic scar, facilitates postoperative rehabilitation, and shortens the hospital stay. MICS requires a thoracic incision in the right 4th or 5th intercostal space. This incision causes intense and long-lasting pain in the postoperative period. Pain is exacerbated by breathing movements, coughing, and respiratory physiotherapy.

Postoperative analgesia is a critical risk factor for the development of pulmonary and cardiovascular complications in any type of cardiothoracic surgery. If patients with high pain levels cannot breathe effectively, it may lead to atelectasis, cardiac ischemia, and arrhythmias. This prolongs the time it takes for patients to be discharged and increases the frequency of postoperative pulmonary complications and postoperative morbidity.

In addition to intravenous medications, various neuraxial and peripheral nerve blocks can be used in cardiac surgery. In recent years, thoracic epidural analgesia has been avoided due to the use of intraoperative high-dose heparin. As an alternative, peripheral nerve blocks have recently gained popularity. SAPB is one of them. SAPB can be applied in three ways. While deep SAPB (DSAPB) is applied under the serratus anterior muscle, superficial SAPB (SSAPB) is applied above the serratus anterior muscle. Combined SAPB (CSAPB) is applied both below and above the serratus anterior muscle. These blocks can be performed with a single injection anywhere between the second and seventh ribs on the lateral chest wall.

In this study, the analgesic effects of ultrasound-guided CSAPB application in patients undergoing MICS will be evaluated.

Publications & conference data

1 peer-reviewed publication reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. Feasibility and postoperative analgesic profile of multimodal analgesia including combined serratus anterior plane block in minimally invasive cardiac surgery: a prospective observational study.
   Zengin EN, Aykut A, Özgök A, Zengin M, et al · · 2026 · PMID 42063133 · DOI 10.1186/s13019-026-04193-8