Clinical Research Directory

Effect of Modified Arm Positioning on Shoulder Pain After Thoracoscopic Lobectomy

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.

TEAS for Ipsilateral Shoulder Pain After Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Lung Surgery

Shoulder pain is a common problem after certain types of lung surgery called video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). This study examines whether a treatment called transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) can help reduce this pain. TEAS is a non-invasive technique that uses mild electrical stimulation at specific points on the body.Patients who are having VATS lung surgery will be randomly assigned to either receive TEAS before surgery or standard care. Researchers will measure how much shoulder pain patients experience and compare the two groups.The goal is to see if TEAS can help patients feel less pain and recover better after this type of lung surgery.