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Completed

NCT Number: NCT00505362

Pain Study of Rectus Muscle Closure at Cesarean Delivery

Suture reapproximation of the rectus muscles at primary cesarean delivery is a common practice about which there are no data. Some Obstetricians believe that suture reapproximation of the rectus muscles increases post-operative pain, and it may decrease adhesions, yet there are no published data to support or refute these claims. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of rectus muscle reapproximation at cesarean delivery and post-operative pain. We also plan to assess the impact of rectus muscle closure on adhesions as seen at repeat cesarean delivery.

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Key information

Conditions

Pain Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Stanford University School of Medicine

Stanford, California, 94305, United States

About this study

There are more than 1 million cesarean deliveries performed annually in the United States, at a rate of 30.2% of all deliveries. Data are limited regarding optimal surgical closure techniques to minimize adhesions at cesarean. Adhesions are implicated in pelvic pain, infertility, difficult repeat surgery, and bowel obstruction. Practice techniques regarding rectus muscle reapproximation vary widely, and there are no data regarding the impact of this step on pain, and some data suggesting a reduction in significant adhesions. Given the frequency of cesarean deliveries, small changes in surgical technique may yield significant benefits.

We hope to learn 1) whether suture reapproximation of the rectus muscles increases pain, and 2) the degree to which suture reapproximation of the rectus muscles alters adhesions when studied in a prospective, randomized trial.

All patients undergoing primary cesarean delivery at Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital (LPCH) will be offered the study. Once consented, patients will be randomized to one of two standardized closure techniques at cesarean: two-layer uterine closure, peritoneal closure, fascial and skin closure, and either reapproximation of the rectus muscles with three-interrupted sutures, or non-closure. Intra-operative and post-operative pain management will be standardized. Subjects will undergo pain assessments while in-house on post-operative days 1 and 3, and at the standard post-partum clinic visit after 6 weeks. These assessments will require less than 5 minutes of the patient's time. Patients will be shown a pain chart, and will be asked to rate their pain on a scale of 0 to 10 at rest. They will then stand up and rate their pain again. Pain medication usage will also be assessed.

The surgeons will know the groups to which the patients are randomized. The patients and those collecting data on pain scores will not.

Primary Endpoint: combined opioid use and movement pain score (Silverman Integrated Assessment-SIA) 72 post-operative hours.

Secondary Endpoint: surgical complications, maternal satisfaction with analgesia.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

37 weeks gestation Primary cesarean American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class 1 or class 2

Exclusion criteria

Chronic analgesia use Vertical skin incision at cesarean Opioid or Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) allergy BMI >40 Labor

Treatment and study plan

Rectus closure

Procedure

Reapproximation of the rectus muscles with three-interrupted sutures

Primary outcomes

  1. Post-operative Pain

    Time frame: 72-hour study period

    Post-operative pain was assessed using Silverman Integrated Assessment (SIA) pain score which combines the opioid use and movement pain score over the 72-hour study period. The SIA pain and opioid score is calculated by first rank ordering each patient's total opioid use (morphine milligram equivalents) and area under the curve (AUC) movement pain score over the 72 hour study period, then calculating a mean for both opioid use and movement pain scores, expressing both opioid use and movement pain score as percent differences from the mean, and lastly adding the percent differences from the mean for the two variables. The SIA composite score value for each subject ranges from approximately 200% to approximately -200%, with the highest positive score indicating the least comfortable or the most pain despite the greatest use of analgesics, and the lowest score indicating the most comfortable or least pain despite the least use of analgesics.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Operative Times

    Time frame: From start to the end of the cesarean delivery, assessed up to two hours.

    Operative time of the cesarean delivery in minutes.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Stanford University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Rectus Muscle Closure vs. Non-Closure at Primary Cesarean Delivery and Post-Operative Pain

Important dates

Study start
2006
Primary completion
2014
Study completion
2017
First posted
Jul 23, 2007
Registry last updated
Nov 6, 2017

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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