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NCT Number: NCT07395375

Non-intubated Versus Intubated Anesthesia for Thoracoscopic Sublobar Resection

This is a large clinical study that compares two different types of anesthesia for patients undergoing a specific kind of minimally invasive lung surgery (thoracoscopic sublobar resection) to remove small, early-stage lung nodules.

The study aims to find out if a newer anesthesia method, known as "non-intubated anesthesia" (where patients breathe on their own with the help of a laryngeal mask airway and nerve blocks for pain control), is as safe as the traditional "intubated anesthesia" (which uses a breathing tube and a machine to breathe for the patient).

The main goals of the study are, in order:

1. Safety First: To confirm that the non-intubated method does not lead to more lung complications within 30 days after surgery compared to the traditional method. 2. Effectiveness: If it is proven safe, the study will then check if patients receiving the non-intubated anesthesia have a better quality of recovery in the first 24 hours after surgery (e.g., less pain, fewer side effects like a sore throat, and a faster return to normal activities).

Approximately 1600 patients from multiple hospitals will be randomly assigned (like flipping a coin) to receive one of the two anesthesia methods. Neither the patients nor the surgeons will be told which group the patient is in when assessing the main outcomes after surgery, to ensure the results are fair and unbiased.

The results of this study will provide high-quality evidence to help doctors and patients choose the best and most comfortable anesthesia option for this type of lung surgery.

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Key information

Conditions

Pulmonary Nodules Lung Diseases Lung Neoplasms Multiple Pulmonary Nodules Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Respiratory Tract Diseases Respiratory Tract Neoplasms Thoracic Neoplasms Thoracic Surgery

Age range

18 year–80 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

The First Affiliated Hospital of GZMU

Guangzhou, China

Location contact

hengrui liang

CONTACT

[email protected]

86+020-83062807

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Aged 18 to 80 years (inclusive).
  • Scheduled for elective, uniportal or single utility port video-assisted thoracoscopic sublobar resection (wedge resection or simple anatomical segmentectomy).
  • Preoperative CT diagnosis of a peripheral pulmonary nodule meeting: maximum diameter ≤ 2.0 cm and outer edge ≤ 2.0 cm from the visceral pleura.
  • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I or II.
  • Preoperative pulmonary function: FEV1% ≥ 60% of predicted.
  • Preoperative arterial blood gas analysis (room air): PaO₂ ≥ 80 mmHg and PaCO₂ ≤ 45 mmHg.
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.0 and 28.0 kg/m².
  • Able to understand the study and provide written informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

  • Cardiovascular: NYHA class ≥ III, unstable angina, acute myocardial infarction within 3 months, or severe arrhythmia requiring medication.
  • Respiratory: Severe COPD (GOLD 3 or 4), symptomatic interstitial lung disease, resting SpO₂ < 92% on room air, or severe pulmonary hypertension (estimated systolic PAP > 50 mmHg).
  • Airway Risk: Modified Mallampati score ≥ 3, mouth opening < 3 cm, or other predictors of difficult airway management.
  • Radiological: Preoperative CT suggesting extensive pleural adhesion, moderate or large pleural effusion, or mediastinal lymph nodes > 1.5 cm short axis.
  • Contraindications to Regional Anesthesia: Infection/tumor at the block site, patient refusal, or allergy to local anesthetics.
  • Coagulopathy: Platelet count < 100×10⁹/L, INR > 1.5, or use of anticoagulants that cannot be safely discontinued perioperatively.
  • Other: Severe hepatic or renal dysfunction, previous ipsilateral thoracic surgery, pregnancy or lactation, active psychiatric or cognitive disorders, or participation in another conflicting clinical trial.

Treatment and study plan

Non-intubated Anesthesia

Procedure

A novel anesthetic technique for thoracic surgery that avoids endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. It typically involves intravenous sedation, the use of a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) for oxygenation, and regional nerve blocks (e.g., paravertebral block) for pain control. The key feature is the preservation of the patient's spontaneous breathing throughout the surgical procedure.

Conventional Intubated General Anesthesia

Procedure

The current standard anesthetic technique for thoracoscopic surgery. It involves general anesthesia induced by intravenous agents, followed by the insertion of a double-lumen endotracheal tube to achieve one-lung ventilation. Anesthesia is maintained with inhalational or intravenous agents, and the patient's ventilation is fully controlled by a mechanical ventilator throughout the operation.

Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA)

Device

Airway management using a laryngeal mask airway to maintain spontaneous ventilation during thoracoscopic surgery.

Intravenous Sedation/Anesthesia (Spontaneous Ventilation)

Drug

Intravenous sedative/anesthetic agents administered to achieve adequate anesthesia while preserving spontaneous breathing.

Regional Nerve Block (Paravertebral/Intercostal Block)

Drug

Regional anesthesia with local anesthetic (e.g., paravertebral or intercostal block) for perioperative analgesia.

Double-lumen Endotracheal Tube (DLT)

Device

Double-lumen endotracheal tube used to achieve one-lung ventilation during general anesthesia.

General Anesthesia With Neuromuscular Blockade

Drug

General anesthesia maintained with intravenous and/or inhalational agents with muscle relaxation for controlled mechanical ventilation.

Primary outcomes

  1. Incidence of composite perioperative complications

    Time frame: From anesthesia induction up to 30 days after surgery

    This primary outcome measures the incidence of a composite of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) within 30 days after surgery. The composite endpoint includes the occurrence of any one of the following predefined complications: pneumonia, respiratory failure, atelectasis requiring bronchoscopy, acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), pulmonary embolism, bronchopleural fistula, pleural effusion requiring drainage, or pneumothorax requiring intervention. The assessment period begins at anesthesia induction and concludes 30 days post-surgery.

  2. Postoperative recovery quality assessed by the QoR-15 score

    Time frame: At 24 hours after surgery

    This primary outcome measures the quality of patient recovery at 24 hours after surgery using the validated Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15) questionnaire. The QoR-15 score encompasses 15 items across five dimensions: physical comfort (5 items), emotional state (4 items), physical independence (2 items), psychological support (2 items), and pain (2 items). Each item is scored on a scale from 0 to 10. The total score ranges from 0 (extremely poor quality of recovery) to 150 (excellent quality of recovery). A higher total score indicates a better postoperative recovery experience from the patient's perspective.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Length of postoperative hospital stay

    Time frame: From the day of surgery until the day of discharge, assessed up to 30 days.

    The duration of hospitalization in days, calculated from the day of surgery to the day of meeting discharge criteria (e.g., adequate pain control with oral analgesics, no air leak, afebrile, able to ambulate independently).

  2. Incidence of intraoperative conversion

    Time frame: During the surgical procedure (from anesthesia induction until skin closure).

    The rate of conversion from non-intubated anesthesia to conventional intubated general anesthesia due to unacceptable surgical conditions (e.g., poor lung collapse, diaphragmatic movement) or patient safety concerns (e.g., hypoxemia, hypercapnia, hemodynamic instability).

Study contacts

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

Hengrui Liang, M.D.

CONTACT

[email protected]

+862083062114

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial of Non-Intubated Spontaneous Breathing Anesthesia Versus Intubated Mechanical Ventilation Anesthesia in Thoracoscopic Sublobar Resection: A Stratified Analysis Study Focusing on Safety and Recovery Quality

Acronym: NIVA-TSLR

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Feb 9, 2026
Registry last updated
Feb 9, 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.

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