Biological and Clinical Underpinnings of Postoperative Pain - Colorectal Surgery

Starting soon

Conditions studied: Colorectal Surgery

In brief

Persistent pain after colorectal surgery remains a significant clinical challenge that can delay recovery, reduce quality of life, and increase long-term healthcare burden. The goal of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the biological and clinical factors that influence pain severity after colorectal surgery and contribute to the transition from acute to chronic postoperative pain. Guided by a biopsychosocial framework, this research will address the following aims: 1. The investigators will use standardized experimental pain testing before surgery to evaluate how patients respond to different types of controlled sensory stimuli. These responses may help predict who is more likely to experience severe or prolonged pain after surgery. 2. The investigators will analyze blood samples collected before and after surgery to measure markers of inflammation and other biological responses. These data will help us explore how the body's immune and hormonal systems relate to pain severity in both the short- and longer-term recovery phases. 3. The investigators will assess psychological and clinical factors, such as emotional health, coping style, household income, and life stressors, to understand how they contribute to patients' pain experiences throughout recovery. 4. The investigators will examine whether routinely collected demographic and clinical characteristics can help identify patients at greater risk of experiencing higher levels of pain after surgery. This approach will allow us to better understand which patients may benefit from more tailored perioperative pain management strategies.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07219160

Run by

University of Alabama at Birmingham

People needed

128

Starts

2026-09-01

Expected to finish

2030-08-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-07-13

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 89. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Participants scheduled for colorectal cancer surgery
• Age between 18-65; 3)
• Understanding verbal and written English

You may not qualify if…

• Concurrent medical conditions that could confound the interpretation of the data
• Human immunodeficiency virus positive diagnosis
• Cardiovascular or pulmonary disease
• Systemic rheumatoid disease
• Uncontrolled hypertension (i.e. SBP/DBP of > 150/95
• Current illness accompanied by fever (body temperature >38 °C)
• Any other chronic pain conditions
• Conditions resulting in altered nerve sensation
• Hospitalization due to psychiatric illness within the last 6 months
• Poorly controlled diabetes
• History of stroke
• History of seizures
• Circulatory disorders such AS Raynauds' disease
• History of drug or alcohol abuse.

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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