RECRUITING

Auriculo-Nerve Stimulation on Post-Operative Opioid Requirement

Study Overview

This clinical trial focuses on testing the efficacy of different digital interventions to promote re-engagement in cancer-related long-term follow-up care for adolescent and young adult (AYA) survivors of childhood cancer.

Description

The NSS-2 BRIDGE® device (NSS stands for Neuro-Stimulation System) is a disposable device that stimulates the branches of cranial nerves and of the superficial cervical plexus innervating the ear. Because the stimulation of the nerves of the ear by the NSS-2 BRIDGE® device (NBD®) has been shown to modulate pain pathways in rodents, decrease abdominal pain in adolescents with inflammatory bile syndrome and due to the results of our preliminary pilot study, the investigators hypothesized that this technique may also be effective in reducing the requirement for postoperative opioids and provide a non-pharmacological alternative to perioperative opioid use. To establish the role that the stimulation of the nerves of the ear may have in reducing postoperative opioid requirement, the investigators are proposing to conduct a randomized, placebo controlled study in patients undergoing open abdominal or pelvic surgery requiring at least 5 days of hospitalization. Subjects who have signed an informed consent will be randomized in 2 groups (active NBD® group or inactive NBD® group). Furthermore, since preoperative and postoperative mood disorders have been shown to increase postoperative pain levels and opioid requirement by up to 50%, the investigators further hypothesize that the stimulation of the ear nerves by the NSS-2 BRIDGE® effects may be in part mediated by a reduction of the level of anxiety, depression and catastrophizing as assessed using validated questionnaires.

Official Title

Reduction of Opioid Requirement Associated With Auriculo-Nerve Stimulation Following Open Surgery

Quick Facts

Study Start:2022-10-24
Study Completion:2026-09-30
Study Type:Not specified
Phase:Not Applicable
Enrollment:Not specified
Status:RECRUITING

Study ID

NCT05506878

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Ages Eligible for Study:18 Years
Sexes Eligible for Study:ALL
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:No
Standard Ages:ADULT, OLDER_ADULT
Inclusion CriteriaExclusion Criteria
  1. 1. Over 18 years of age
  2. 2. Scheduled for elective open primary abdominal and pelvic colorectal cancer resection surgical procedures at UPMC Shadyside Hospital, UPMC Magee-Women's Hospital, or UPMC Passavant Hospital and following the standard ERAS protocol
  3. 3. Expected hospital stay of approximately 5 days
  1. 1. Patients who are considered by the medical or surgical team to not be able to give consent
  2. 2. Clinical evidence of anxiety, depression, including suicidal ideation. The diagnostic will be based on medical history, the current treatment, and the clinical examination. The PI or Co-I will be the one making the determination to enroll the subject after the subject undergoes psychosocial testing included in the protocol and that corresponding scores have been established. These tests will only be conducted after the patient has signed an informed consent form.
  3. 3. Chronic pain condition that at the discretion of the PI, should exclude the subject from participating -or- chronic opioid use defined as daily use of 60 mg of oral opioid equivalent. The diagnostic will be based on the medical history, the current treatment, and the clinical examination. The PI or Co-I will be the one making the determination to enroll the subject.
  4. 4. True allergy to all opioid medications. The diagnostic will be based on the medical history, and the determination of the symptoms associated with the recorded allergy. The PI or Co-I will be the one making the determination to enroll the subject.
  5. 5. History of or current alcohol abuse (defined as daily use of more than 1 liter of wine and/or 3 or more shots of hard liquor) or drug abuse (defined as daily use of illicit drugs) for at least 3 months. The PI or Co-I will be the one making the determination to enroll the subject.
  6. 6. Surgical procedure performed laparoscopically
  7. 7. Non elective surgery
  8. 8. Pregnancy
  9. 9. Contraindication for use of NBD® (including patients with cardiac pacemaker, hemophilia, and psoriasis vulgaris diagnosis and/or ear eczema)
  10. 10. Patients intubated with sedation, and/or receiving fentanyl infusion for sedation post-surgery.
  11. 11. Rapid recovery surgeries
  12. 12. Subjects with a diagnosed seizure disorder
  13. 13. Use of dexmedetomidine in the ICU

Contacts and Locations

Study Contact

Amy Monroe, MPH, MBA
CONTACT
412-623-6382
monroeal@upmc.edu
Carly Riedmann, MPH
CONTACT
412-623-4147
riedmannca@upmc.edu

Principal Investigator

Jacques E Chelly, MD, PhD, MBA
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
University of Pittsburgh

Study Locations (Sites)

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - Magee-Womens Hospital
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213
United States
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - Shadyside Hospital
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15232
United States
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center - Passavant Hospital
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15237
United States

Collaborators and Investigators

Sponsor: Jacques E. Chelly

  • Jacques E Chelly, MD, PhD, MBA, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, University of Pittsburgh

Study Record Dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Registration Dates

Study Start Date2022-10-24
Study Completion Date2026-09-30

Study Record Updates

Study Start Date2022-10-24
Study Completion Date2026-09-30

Terms related to this study

Keywords Provided by Researchers

  • anesthesiology
  • auricular neurostimulation
  • auriculotherapy
  • open surgery
  • opioids
  • pain management

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

  • Opioid Use
  • Auriculotherapy
  • Pain, Abdominal
  • Cancer Pain