NCT07746323Recruiting
Effect of Modified Arm Positioning on Shoulder Pain After Thoracoscopic Lobectomy
Effect of Modified Bilateral Arm Wrapping Position on Postoperative Ipsilateral Shoulder Pain in Patients Undergoing Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Lobectomy: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 5 Aug 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
This study is a prospective randomized controlled trial aiming to reduce shoulder pain after lung surgery. Shoulder pain on the surgical side is common after video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy, affecting about 20%-58% of patients. It can limit coughing, moving, and sleeping, and may delay recovery. The pain may come from two sources: nerve stimulation during surgery and the prolonged arm position used during the operation. While nerve stimulation is hard to avoid, the arm position can be modified. Currently, most pain treatments rely on medications or nerve blocks given after surgery, which have side effects or risks. No one has tried to prevent the pain by changing the arm position during the operation. We plan to enroll 270 patients scheduled for thoracoscopic lung removal surgery at Chengdu Shangjin Nanfu Hospital. Patients will be randomly divided into two groups. One group will receive the standard side-lying position with arms extended on arm boards (traditional position). The other group will receive a modified position where both arms are bent at the elbows and wrapped with surgical drapes, without using arm boards (modified double-arm wrap position). Our main goal is to compare the rate of shoulder pain (on the operated side) within 24 hours after surgery between the two groups. We will also compare pain on the opposite shoulder, pain severity, time needed to set up the position, total surgery time, hospital stay, and any nerve or skin complications. This study has been approved by the Biomedical Ethics Review Committee of West China Hospital, Sichuan University. All participants will provide written informed consent. The findings may help improve intraoperative positioning and enhance early recovery after lung surgery.
- Status (registry)
- Recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 270 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 22 Jul 2026
- Start date
- 1 May 2026
- Primary completion date
- 31 Aug 2026
- Lead sponsor
- Chengdu Jinjiang Maternity and Child Health Hospital
- Diseases
- Lung cancer
- NCT number
- NCT07746323
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 270
- From 1 May 2026 to the primary completion date, 31 Aug 2026
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Other illness
- Severe cervical spine disease or history of brachial plexus injury.
- Cognitive impairment or psychiatric disorder precluding understanding of pain assessment scales.
Who the study is looking for
- Age ≥18 years.
- Diagnosed with pulmonary space-occupying lesion and scheduled for elective video-assisted thoracoscopic standard lobectomy.
- ASA physical status classification I-III.
- No pre-existing shoulder pain or shoulder mobility impairment prior to surgery.
- No long-term use of analgesic medications (\>1 week) before surgery.
- Willing and able to provide written informed consent.
Age in the registry: 18 years to - · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chengdu Shangjin Nanfu Hospita Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Chengdu | China | Recruiting |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.