Clinical Research Directory

Prehabilitation in High-risk Oncologic Surgery

The goal of this clinical study is to learn whether a prehabilitation program can improve recovery after major abdominal surgery in adults with cancer who are receiving treatment before surgery. Prehabilitation is supportive care given before surgery to help patients prepare physically, nutritionally, and emotionally. The main questions this study aims to answer are: 1. Does prehabilitation reduce the number of participants who die or have serious complications within 30 days after surgery? 2. Does prehabilitation improve physical strength and fitness, nutritional status, emotional well-being, and quality of life before surgery? 3. Does prehabilitation affect the length of the hospital stay after surgery, the time it takes to start additional cancer treatment after surgery, or the ability to complete recommended additional treatment? Participants will take part in a prehabilitation program during their treatment period before surgery. The program includes visits with physical therapy, nutrition, and health psychology. Participants will meet with each specialty at least twice before surgery. They will also complete questionnaires and tests that measure physical function, diet and weight, emotional well-being, and quality of life. After surgery, information about recovery and additional cancer treatment will be collected from medical records for up to 120 days. Researchers will compare the outcomes of participants who receive the prehabilitation program with outcomes from similar patients who previously received care at Fox Chase Cancer Center but did not participate in this study.

The Effect of Heating the Intensive Care Room in the Early Postoperative Period on Patient Outcomes

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of heating the intensive care room in the early postoperative period on patient outcomes.

Adhesion Prevention in ASBO Surgery Using 4DryField® PH

Post-surgical adhesions occur in up to 90% of abdominal surgeries, often leading to complications like adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO) and chronic pain. They result from imbalanced healing processes influenced by growth factors, fibroblast activity, and genetic predispositions. While surgery can relieve ASBO, it frequently causes new adhesions, with recurrence rates up to 40%. Anti-adhesion barriers, such as the starch-based 4DryField® PH, form a temporary gel barrier to support healing. Though promising, its role in preventing ASBO recurrence is not well studied. This study evaluates whether intra-operative use of 4DryField® PH reduces ASBO recurrence over 12 months and compares perioperative outcomes in treated vs. untreated patients.