Clinical trials

Lipedema is a chronic condition that predominantly affects women and is characterized by disproportionate, usually symmetrical accumulation of subcutaneous fat, particularly in the hips and legs. Pain, tenderness, easy bruising, fatigue, and psychological symptoms may substantially affect daily functioning and quality of life. Misophonia involves intense negative reactions to specific sounds, but its relationship with lipedema remains unclear. This observational case-control study aims to investigate misophonia symptoms in women with lipedema compared with women without lipedema and to explore their associations with pain and psychosocial factors. The prespecified primary outcome measure is central sensitization severity, assessed using the Central Sensitization Inventory. Secondary outcome measures include misophonia symptom severity, pain intensity, pressure pain thresholds, pain catastrophizing, sleep quality, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and body image. The study will compare these outcomes between groups and examine their associations with misophonia symptoms.

Reduction mammoplasty is associated with significant early postoperative pain due to the extent of the incision and glandular resection. Effective regional analgesia may reduce opioid requirements; ultrasound-guided pectoral nerve block type II (PECS II), serratus anterior plane block (SAPS) and surgeon-administered local anesthetic wound infiltration. This is a multi-center, prospective observational study in patients aged 18-70 years (ASA I-III) scheduled for elective reduction mammoplasty. The investigators will compare the two routinely applied techniques with respect to perioperative opioid consumption (primary outcome), postoperative pain scores on the Numeric Rating Scale, total rescue analgesic dose within the first 24 postoperative hours. A minimum of 58 patients will be enrolled based on a priori power analysis. The aim is to determine which of the two existing analgesia protocols better minimizes postoperative analgesic consumption and supports early recovery, in order to inform future pain management protocols.

THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY IS TO COMPARE GASTRIC VOLUME PRIOR TO ELECTIVE CESAREAN SECTION BETWEEN PREGNANT WOMEN DIAGNOSED WITH GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS (GDM) AND THOSE WITHOUT GDM. THE SECONDARY OBJECTIVES ARE TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF GDM ON PREOPERATIVE RESIDUAL GASTRIC VOLUME AND TO OBTAIN DATA THAT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO CLINICAL ANESTHESIA PRACTICES REGARDING THE RISK OF ASPIRATION. THIS STUDY AIMS TO OBTAIN OBJECTIVE ULTRASONOGRAPHIC DATA REGARDING THE ADEQUACY OF STANDARD FASTING PERIODS IN PREGNANT WOMEN, PARTICULARLY IN THE PRESENCE OF GDM.

Obese patients are at increased risk of difficult airway management due to anatomical changes in the anterior neck soft tissues. Accurate preoperative prediction of difficult airway remains challenging using conventional clinical airway assessment tests alone. This prospective observational study aims to evaluate the role of ultrasound assessment of anterior neck soft tissue thickness in predicting difficult airway risk in overweight and obese adult patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia. Ultrasound-based anterior neck measurements will be compared with standard clinical airway assessment parameters to determine their diagnostic accuracy for difficult laryngoscopy and intubation. The results of this study may contribute to improved preoperative airway risk stratification and safer airway management in obese patients.

This prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, triple-blind trial will evaluate the effect of adding intravenous dexamethasone to intravenous dexmedetomidine on postoperative analgesia after superior trunk block in adult patients undergoing elective arthroscopic shoulder surgery. All participants will receive ultrasound-guided superior trunk block and standard intravenous dexmedetomidine. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either intravenous dexamethasone or an equal volume of normal saline placebo before surgery. The main outcome will be the time from completion of the block to the first request for rescue analgesia after surgery. The study will also evaluate postoperative pain scores, rebound pain, opioid consumption, blood glucose levels, hemodynamic changes, postoperative nausea and vomiting, sleep disturbance due to pain, block-related complications, and patient satisfaction.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of different carbon dioxide gas insufflation pressures on the ultrasound-guided optic nerve sheath diameter in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy and to determine the possible relationship between these changes and intracranial pressure. The study aims to gain a better understanding of the neurophysiological effects of gas pressures used during laparoscopic surgery and to obtain scientific data aimed at improving patient safety.

This retrospective cohort study will evaluate burn patients hospitalized and treated at the Burn Center of Gaziantep City Hospital between October 2023 and June 2026. The study aims to compare demographic characteristics, burn severity, clinical course, and in-hospital outcomes between Turkish citizens and foreign-national burn patients. Data will be obtained retrospectively from patient files, discharge summaries, intensive care records, operative notes, and the hospital information management system. Variables will include age, sex, nationality status, burn etiology, total body surface area burned, inhalation injury, sepsis, intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation requirement, surgical treatment requirement, number of operations, length of hospital stay, discharge status, transfer to another center, and in-hospital mortality. No additional intervention, diagnostic test, treatment, or follow-up procedure will be performed as part of this study. All analyses will be conducted using anonymized or coded retrospective clinical data.

This prospective, randomized, double-blind study compares the analgesic efficacy of ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane (ESP) block and subcostal transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The primary outcome is 24-hour postoperative opioid consumption. Secondary outcomes include postoperative pain scores, time to first analgesic request, shoulder pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and block-related complications.

This prospective, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of Capacitive and Resistive Energy Transfer (TECAR) therapy in patients with lateral epicondylitis. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a TECAR plus exercise group or a sham TECAR plus exercise group. Both groups will receive a standardized home exercise program including elbow and wrist range-of-motion, stretching, eccentric strengthening, and handgrip strengthening exercises. The TECAR group will additionally receive active TECAR therapy, while the control group will receive sham TECAR treatment using the same device and treatment protocol without therapeutic energy delivery. Outcome assessments will be performed by a blinded evaluator at baseline, immediately after treatment, and at 1- and 2-month follow-up visits. The study aims to determine whether TECAR therapy provides additional benefits in pain relief, functional improvement, and clinical outcomes when combined with exercise therapy in patients with lateral epicondylitis.

This prospective observational study aims to evaluate the predictive value of the combined use of the rapid shallow breathing index, train-of-four ratio, and bispectral index for extubation success after general anesthesia. Adult patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia and planned for extubation in the operating room will be included. Before extubation, RSBI, TOF ratio, BIS value, respiratory parameters, and relevant perioperative data will be recorded. The decision to extubate will be made by the attending anesthesiologist according to routine clinical practice and will not be altered by the study protocol. Patients will be followed for 30 minutes after extubation to assess extubation success or the development of complications such as desaturation, laryngospasm, need for airway intervention, mask ventilation, or reintubation. The primary aim is to determine whether the combined RSBI, TOF, and BIS model predicts extubation success more accurately than each parameter alone.

This prospective observational study aims to evaluate the agreement between artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted target point identification and experienced anesthesiologists during ultrasound-guided axillary brachial plexus block. Ultrasound guidance is widely used in regional anesthesia to improve block success and safety. However, accurate identification of anatomical structures and optimal injection points remains operator-dependent. Artificial intelligence-based systems have the potential to assist clinicians by identifying anatomical landmarks in real time. In this study, AI-generated target points will be compared with those determined by experienced anesthesiologists. The level of agreement between the two methods will be analyzed. Secondary outcomes will include block performance parameters and image quality. The findings of this study may contribute to understanding the clinical utility of AI in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia.

Median sternotomy is commonly used in cardiac surgery and is often associated with significant postoperative pain. Poor pain control after sternotomy may increase opioid use, delay mobilization, prolong extubation time, and contribute to respiratory complications and longer hospital stay. Regional analgesia techniques may help improve pain management and reduce opioid requirements after surgery. This study is a prospective, randomized, single-center clinical trial that will compare two ultrasound-guided regional analgesia techniques in adult patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery through median sternotomy: thoracic paravertebral block and bilateral deep parasternal intercostal plane block. A total of 80 patients will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive one of these two blocks in addition to standard general anesthesia and routine multimodal analgesia. The main objective of the study is to compare the effects of these two techniques on total opioid consumption during the first 24 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes include postoperative pain scores, need for additional analgesics, analgesia-related side effects such as nausea, vomiting, or respiratory depression, and extubation time. Pain will be assessed using a visual analog scale at predefined time points during the first 24 postoperative hours. The study hypothesis is that there will be a clinically meaningful difference in postoperative analgesic effectiveness between thoracic paravertebral block and bilateral deep parasternal intercostal plane block in patients undergoing cardiac surgery via median sternotomy. The results of this study may help guide the selection of the most appropriate regional analgesia technique for pain control after sternotomy.

Median sternotomy is commonly used in cardiac surgery and is associated with significant intraoperative and postoperative pain, often requiring substantial opioid administration. High opioid use during cardiac surgery may contribute to adverse effects such as respiratory depression, delayed extubation, postoperative nausea and vomiting, and prolonged intensive care unit stay. Therefore, effective opioid-sparing strategies are an important component of modern perioperative care. The deep parasternal intercostal plane (DPIP) block is a regional anesthesia technique that targets the anterior cutaneous branches of the intercostal nerves, which are responsible for transmitting pain from the sternum and adjacent tissues. When performed under ultrasound guidance, this block allows precise local anesthetic deposition while minimizing the risk of pleural or vascular injury. The purpose of this randomized controlled study is to evaluate whether a preoperative ultrasound-guided DPIP block reduces intraoperative opioid consumption in adult patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery via median sternotomy. Patients will be randomly assigned to receive either a bilateral DPIP block in addition to standard general anesthesia or standard general anesthesia alone. The primary outcome of the study is total intraoperative opioid consumption. Secondary outcomes include time to extubation, postoperative opioid consumption within the first 24 hours, postoperative pain scores, and the incidence of opioid-related adverse effects. The results of this study may help define the role of the DPIP block as part of a multimodal, opioid-sparing analgesic strategy in cardiac surgery.

Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is a serious pregnancy complication in which the placenta grows abnormally into the uterine wall. This condition is associated with a high risk of severe bleeding, need for blood transfusion, hysterectomy, and maternal complications during cesarean delivery. This study aims to compare spinal anesthesia and general anesthesia in pregnant women diagnosed with placenta accreta spectrum who underwent cesarean delivery. The researchers reviewed existing medical records to evaluate differences in maternal and neonatal outcomes between the two anesthesia approaches. The primary outcomes include changes in hemoglobin levels before and after surgery, the need for uterotonic medications during and after the operation, and newborn Apgar scores. Because this is a retrospective observational study, no new treatments were given, and all data were collected from routine clinical care records. The findings are expected to help guide anesthetic decision-making in PAS cases, improve maternal and neonatal safety, and contribute to the international scientific literature on this topic.