Clinical Research Directory

Anastomotic Bleeding in Colorectal Anastomosis Relating to the Placement of the Stapler Spike to the Staple Line

Each colorectal anastomosis is routinely evaluated intraoperatively by sigmoidoscopy and, in the presence of signs of bleeding, also postoperatively (persistent rectal bleeding within 24 hours after surgery).

Comparison of Surgery and Medicine on the Impact of Diverticulitis (COSMID) Trial

The COSMID (Comparison of Surgery and Medicine on the Impact of Diverticulitis) trial is a pragmatic, patient-level randomized superiority trial of elective colectomy vs. best medical management for patients with quality of life (QoL) limiting diverticular disease. A parallel observational cohort will include those who are disinclined to have their treatment choice randomized, but are willing to contribute information about their outcomes. The goal of the COSMID trial is to answer the question: For patients with QoL-limiting diverticular disease, is elective colectomy more effective than best medical management? The hypothesis being tested in the COSMID trial is that patient-reported outcomes (PROs) among patients in the surgery arm will be superior to those in the best medical management arm.

Anastomotic Leakage After Colorectal Surgery.

Anastomotic leakage (AL) is a severe complication after colorectal surgery, with incidence rates of 2-30%. This prospective, single-center observational cohort study aims to identify and quantify independent risk factors for AL, determine its incidence and impact on outcomes, and develop a predictive model. Approximately 430 patients undergoing colorectal resection with anastomosis will be enrolled from August 2025 to August 2026. Risk factors will be assessed preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively. AL will be defined and graded per the International Study Group of Rectal Cancer (ISGRC) criteria.

Prospective Observational Analysis of Circulating Endocan Levels in Patients Presenting With Acute Diverticulitis

Quantify the level of endocan in blood samples collected from patients with acute diverticulitis in the emergency department. Determine if endocan levels are correlated with the severity of diverticulitis according to the WSES classification. Assess whether patients requiring emergency surgical intervention have higher endocan values compared to others.

Clinical Trial With MBK-01, Intestinal Microbiota Capsules, for the Treatment of Patients With Recurrent Diverticulitis

Patients with diverticulitis experience a prolonged course of the disease and report a variety of physical, psychological and social symptoms, which highly impacts in their quality of life. Although antibiotic therapy has been the preferred treatment option for acute diverticulitis, it does not control the disease in 40 percent of the patients with complicated diverticulitis and 13 to 23 percent of the patients with non-complicated diverticulitis, which results in chronic and recurrent episodes of diverticulitis. As the episodes repeat, the outpatient conservative treatment has worse success rates and the incidence of complicated diverticulitis with abscess increases up to five times. Therefore, it is of great importance to establish new treatments in order to avoid the recurrences of the disease. As of today, there is not enough evidence of the efficacy of current treatment options to prevent recurrences in patients with diverticulitis, but recent approaches suggest the modification of intestinal microbiota as a preventive strategy. Microbial imbalance (dysbiosis) has been proposed as a mechanism involved in the transition from diverticulosis to diverticulitis, inflammation and some of the symptoms of the disease. In this way, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) could have an important role in the prevention of new episodes, as it can modify the composition of the intestinal microbiota in a less invasive and more physiological way. Until now the efficacy of FMT in patients with recurrent diverticulitis has not been assessed; however, its benefits and safety have been demonstrated in studies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a pathology with similarities to diverticulitis in its symptoms and underlying inflammation. The objective of the present clinical trial is to assess the efficacy of MBK-01 (heterologous lyophilized intestinal microbiota oral capsules) in reducing the frequency of episodes in recurrent diverticulitis, its safety and tolerability and to determine the optimal dosing regimen.

FMT in Uncomplicated Diverticulitis

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) is an established treatment for Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infection refractory to medical management. As C. diff infection usually arises due to significant disturbances in the gut microbiome, FMT is typically performed to restore a healthy microbiome among affected patients who have failed other treatments. Diverticulitis is a major, and often recurrent, source of morbidity in the U.S for which antibiotics and surgical resection constitute the only treatment options to date. Although alterations of the intestinal microbiome have also been shown among patients with diverticular disease, research on FMT in diverticulitis is sparse. The intended goal of this project is to determine the feasibility, effectiveness and safety of FMT in the treatment of uncomplicated diverticulitis, using clinical outcomes and microbiome analyses.

Surgical Site Infection Outcomes in Natural Orifice Intracorporeal Anastomosis and Extraction (NICE) Procedure - The NICE Trial

The goal of this observational study is to learn if a new surgical technique, called the NICE procedure, is as safe as standard methods for treating benign left-sided colon and rectal diseases in adults. The main question it aims to answer is: Does the NICE procedure lead to similar or lower rates of surgical site infections (SSIs) within 30 days compared to traditional surgery? Researchers will gather information from hospitals across the country to evaluate how well this procedure works when performed by experienced surgeons in everyday clinical settings. Participants will: Have surgery using the NICE procedure, which uses a robotic platform and removes the specimen through a natural opening (the rectum). Be monitored for any infections or complications after surgery. Complete surveys to track their recovery, bowel function, and quality of life for up to 6 months. This study may help improve recovery, reduce pain, and lower infection risk in future colorectal surgeries.

Investigation of Medical Management to Prevent Episodes of Diverticulitis Trial

This is a randomized trial (n=75) of a Mediterranean style Food Pattern and versus standardized guidance on fiber intake for patients with diverticulitis to evaluate the feasibility of this dietary intervention including willingness to randomize and adherence to a Med-style dietary pattern. The investigators will employ state-of-the-art behavioral interventions in the form of electronic feedback to improve health-related behaviors and support dietary customization based on participants' budget, dietary preferences, and restrictions. The investigators will also examine plasma inflammatory biomarkers (interleukin-6, interleukin-10, and interleukin-1β) and fecal calprotectin at baseline, 6, and 12 months.

Comparison of NOM for ACLD Between Medical and Surgical Ward

In Europe, patients with acute left colon diverticulitis (ALCD) are usually admitted to surgical wards even when only medical treatment is required. The study compares ALCD non-operative management (NOM) between surgical and non-surgical environments regarding clinical outcomes, hospitalization length(LOS), and follow-up.

Clinical Database of Colorectal Robotic Surgery

Evaluation of robot Da Vinci Xi by determining its learning curve.The operating time will be defined by patient then the operating average will be calculated.

RObotic Versus LAparoscopic Colectomy for DIverticulitis.

Over the last decade there has been a growing interest toward the application of robotic approach for diverticular disease. The evidence available on the literature showed that robotic approach, compared to the laparoscopic surgery, offers significant advantages in terms of conversion rate and shortened hospital stay for the treatment of diverticular disease. The investigators aimed at evaluating whether robotic colectomy may offer some advantages over the laparoscopic approach for surgical treatment of diverticular disease by analyzing a one year multicenter prospective study. Primary objective is to evaluate if robotic approach reduce the rate of conversion to open approach compared to laparoscopic surgery. Secondary objective is to assess difference between the two approaches in terms of rate of intraoperative complication, postoperative morbidities (according with Clavien and Dindo Classification), hospital stay and at one year follow up. Inclusion criteria are: elective colectomy for complicated or non-complicated diverticular disease performed with laparoscopic or robotic approach and age between 18 and 90 years. Exclusion criteria are non-elective colectomy (emergency resection), open procedure, diverticular resection performed during other procedure (i.e. colectomy for cancer). Data will be collected in one year from the start of the study. Due to the lack of available evidence, it is impossible to draw definitive conclusions. With this study, the investigators hope to clarify the role of the robotic approach in the treatment of diverticular disease.