Can Ultrasound-Guided Fascial Plane Blocks Reduce Postoperative Pulmonary Complications After Major Abdominal Surgery?

This prospective observational study aims to evaluate whether the use of ultrasound-guided fascial plane blocks is associated with a lower incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications in adult patients undergoing elective major abdominal surgery under general anesthesia.

Patients will be observed in two groups based on routine clinical practice: those who receive an ultrasound-guided fascial plane block for postoperative analgesia and those managed with other standard analgesic methods. The choice of analgesic technique will be determined by the responsible anesthesia team and not influenced by the study.

Postoperative pulmonary complications occurring within the first 7 days after surgery will be recorded using reopening the European Perioperative Clinical Outcome (EPCO) criteria. Secondary outcomes will include unplanned intensive care unit admission, length of hospital stay, and 30-day mortality. No additional procedures or interventions will be performed for research purposes.

Recruiting

Interested in participating?

Request Info

Key information

Conditions

Postoperative Pulmonary Complications (PPCs) Abdominal Surgeries Postoperative Pain Management

Age range

65 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Dr. Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Hospital

Yenimahalle, Ankara, 06370, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

arif timuroglu

CONTACT

[email protected]

+905072601980

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Age 65 years or older
Scheduled for elective major abdominal surgery (e.g., colorectal, hepatobiliary, pancreatic, or gastric surgery)
ASA physical status II-III
Ability to provide written informed consent
Planned use of general anesthesia with or without adjunct regional techniques

Exclusion criteria

Refusal or inability to provide informed consent
Known allergy or contraindication to local anesthetics
Coagulopathy or ongoing anticoagulant therapy contraindicating regional anesthesia
Infection at the site of planned block
Pre-existing chronic opioid use or chronic pain syndrome
Severe hepatic, renal, or cardiac failure (e.g., Child-Pugh C, end-stage renal disease, EF <30%)
Cognitive impairment or severe dementia preventing adequate pain assessment
Emergency surgery
Body mass index (BMI > 40 kg/m²)

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

Incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs)

Time frame: Within the first 7 postoperative days

Postoperative pulmonary complications will be defined and recorded according to the European Perioperative Clinical Outcome (EPCO) criteria.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

arif timuroglu

CONTACT

[email protected]

+905072601980

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Dr Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of Ultrasound-Guided Fascial Plane Blocks on Postoperative Pulmonary Complications in Patients Undergoing Major Abdominal Surgery: A Prospective Observational Study

Acronym: FPB-PPC

Important dates

Study start: 2026
Primary completion: 2026
Study completion: 2026
First posted: Feb 6, 2026
Registry last updated: Apr 30, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Recruiting