NAC-REPAIR for Post-surgical Pain
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: NAC, NAC 0mg/day (Placebo).
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Carpal Tunnel Surgery, Trigger Finger Disorder, De Quervain Syndrome, Guyon's Canal. Basic parameters: 18 years — 75 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
NAC-REPAIR: N-Acetylcysteine-facilitated Redox-Immune Modulation for Post-surgical Analgesia and Injury Recovery
Overview
This pilot asks whether peri-operative N-acetylcysteine (NAC) improves recovery after common outpatient hand/foot-ankle surgery-specifically, does NAC reduce pain and opioid use and enhance function by modulating redox-inflammatory pathways? Primary objectives are to establish feasibility (accrual, adherence, follow-up), estimate NAC vs placebo effects on pain, function, and opioid consumption, and characterize inflammatory signatures that may predict response. Methods: a single-site, double-blind, 1:1 randomized trial (N≈80) comparing NAC 1,200 mg twice daily for 14 days (starting pre-op) vs matching placebo; daily e-diaries for POD0-14; standardized outcomes (PROMIS Pain Interference; QuickDASH or FAAM; PGIC; opioid MME); and small blood draws pre-surgery and at two follow-up visits for cytokine profiling.
Interventions
- Drug NAC
Intervention: Oral N-acetylcysteine capsules, 600 mg twice daily. Timing/Duration: Begin the evening before surgery (≤24 h pre-op) and continue through Post-op Day 14 (total 15 days; bottle overfilled to cover missed doses). Administration: Self-administered at home; counseling at baseline dispense; pill diary + pill counts. Concomitant care: All peri-operative care per standard of care (SoC), including multimodal analgesia; no high-dose antioxidant supplements; nitrates excluded. Objective: - Drug NAC 0mg/day (Placebo)
Intervention: Matched inert capsules (e.g., microcrystalline cellulose), identical in size/appearance/labeling to NAC. Timing/Duration: 600 mg-equivalent capsule count, twice daily, evening before surgery through Post-op Day 14. Administration: Same counseling, diary, and adherence checks as NAC arm. Concomitant care: Identical SoC allowances/restrictions as NAC arm. Randomization/Blinding: 1:1, stratified by surgery type (upper- vs lower-extremity); double-blind (participants, investigators
Primary outcome measures
- PROMIS pain interference [Time frame: baseline; post-op (2-4 weeks); post-op (12 weeks);]
Secondary outcome measures (2)
- PROMIS Physical Function [Time frame: Baseline; post-op (2-4 weeks); post-op (12 weeks)]
- Numeric Pain Rating Scale [Time frame: Baseline; post-op (2-4 weeks); post-op (12 weeks)]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Elective outpatient hand/upper-extremity or foot/ankle surgery (single site; same-day discharge)
- Baseline visit feasible ≤14 days pre-op
- Can complete surveys/blood draw
- Provides informed consent
- Willing to follow dosing schedule and avoid restricted supplements/meds
Exclusion criteria
- Allergy to NAC/capsule components □ NAC or high-dose antioxidants in past 14 days (unwilling to stop)
- Chronic daily opioids ≥3 months or OUD/maintenance therapy □ Pregnant/breastfeeding or no contraception as applicable
- Daily nitrates (nitroglycerin/isosorbide) □ Planned >24h admission, multistage/trauma case □ Other interventional study within 30 days
- Unable to swallow capsules / malabsorption surgery affecting oral meds
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- Banner Health — Tucson
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07227649 · STUDY00007009