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Comparing Two Arm Positions During Keyhole Lung Surgery and Shoulder Pain

Compares two arm positions during keyhole lung removal surgery in adults for shoulder pain.

Key facts

Who runs it
Chengdu Jinjiang Maternity and Child Health Hospital
Where
Chengdu, ChinaSee the site
Trial code
Registry title
Effect of Modified Arm Positioning on Shoulder Pain After Thoracoscopic Lobectomy
Status
Recruiting
People taking part
270 people, planned
Started
1 May 2026
Planned end
30 Sept 2026
Type of study
Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
Treatments tested
  • Modified Double-Arm Wrap Positioning
  • Traditional Arm-Board Position
Record updated
5 August 2026

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for adults with a lung lesion who are booked for planned keyhole (video-assisted thoracoscopic) removal of a lung lobe. It tests whether a different arm position during surgery lowers shoulder pain afterwards.

Age
18 years or older
Sex
Women and men can join
Disease stage
A lung lesion (space-occupying lesion) with planned, elective video-assisted thoracoscopic standard lobectomy. ASA physical status I-III.
Earlier treatment
No long-term use of pain medicine (more than 1 week) before surgery.

Main reasons for not taking part

  • Shoulder pain or limited shoulder movement before surgery
  • Severe neck (cervical spine) disease
  • Past injury to the brachial plexus (arm nerve bundle)
  • Memory or thinking problems or a mental illness that make pain scales hard to understand
  • Cannot or will not give written consent

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 8 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • 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

Who cannot take part

  • Severe cervical spine disease or history of brachial plexus injury
  • Cognitive impairment or psychiatric disorder precluding understanding of pain assessment scales

Where in China

  • Chengdu Shangjin Nanfu HospitaChengdu, ChinaContact: Lu LuTaking people

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

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.

Read full original descriptionShow less

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.

The 2 groups in the trial

  • Traditional Arm-Board PositionExisting treatment, for comparison
  • Modified Bilateral Arm-Wrapping PositionTreatment being tested

    Treatment: Modified Double-Arm Wrap Positioning

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Effect of Modified Bilateral Arm Wrapping Position on Postoperative Ipsilateral Shoulder Pain in Patients Undergoing Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Lobectomy: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial
Plain-language title
Comparing Two Arm Positions During Keyhole Lung Surgery and Shoulder PainGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 13 November 2026.
Record updated
5 August 2026