Clinical Research Directory

Impact of Food Supplementation on Quality of Life in Patients With Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain.

This study examines whether the food supplement Doliral can improve quality of life and reduce pelvic pain in women with endometriosis, compared with placebo, over several weeks.

Observational Study on the Use of Ultrasound to Recognize Superficial Endometriosis in a Specific Area of the Pelvis (the Uterosacral Ligaments)

An observational, prospective, multicenter study conducted on patients of childbearing age undergoing laparoscopic surgery for early-stage benign or malignant gynecological disease. The study does not include changes to the standard care pathway.

Combining Ultrasound and Biomarkers to Diagnose Superficial Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a benign gynecological disease characterized by uterine-like cells growing outside the uterus, leading to pain, infertility, and inflammation. Endometriosis most commonly occurs in the forms of Superficial Endometriosis (SE), Deep Endometriosis and Ovarian Endometriosis (Endometrioma) (OE). Ultrasound diagnosis of DE and OE has become more reliable with advances in ultrasound technology, technique and expertise, leading to decreased diagnosis time for patients and allowing for better optimization of surgeries if required. SE, however, lacks any reliable non-invasive diagnosis methods. SE is the most common form of endometriosis and is defined as a disease that lines the peritoneum and is small and superficial in nature, leading to chronic inflammation, infertility, and pain. SE is difficult to visualize on ultrasound due to its size and alignment with tissue, requiring fluid to expand the pelvis and partially suspend these small lesions, allowing them to be diagnosed through ultrasound. Leonardi et al. observed that in some patients, a physiologic change occurs whereby fluid fills the pouch of Douglas (POD), allowing increased visualizing during ultrasound. This led to the development of Saline-infused sonoPODgraphy (SPG), a novel method utilizing modified commonly used ultrasound techniques called saline-infusion sonohysterography (SIS) and hysterosalpingo-contrast-sonography (HyCoSy), to reliably visualize the POD (Leonardi et al, 2019). Visualizing the POD is important as SE is often deposited in the POD. This diagnostic accuracy pilot study aims to pioneer the technique whereby SPG will be evaluated as a novel, rapid, non-invasive diagnostic tool for SE. The injected fluid from the POD will be withdrawn and evaluated for novel biomarkers, allowing us to further develop rapid diagnostics and better understand disease mechanisms. We hypothesize that SPG will allow for the diagnosis of SE with a diagnostic accuracy parallel to the current invasive gold standard, laparoscopy.

Assessing the Efficacy of Indocyanine Green for Ureter Identification During Robot-Assisted Surgery in Advanced-Stage Endometriosis

The goal of this side-randomized, self-controlled trial, 1-site study is to explore the efficacy of Indocyanine Green Fluorescence (ICG) for Intraoperative Ureter Identification During Robot-Assisted Single-Site Surgery in Advanced-Stage Endometriosis. Researchers will perform temporary ureteral stent using indocyanine green fluorescence for intraoperative ureteral identification on either the left or right side of subjects who are undergoing a robotic assisted transumbilical resection of advanced endometriosis. Participants will be randomized to receive ICG-assisted ureteral identification on either the left or right side. Randomization will be conducted using a computer-generated block randomization method. The primary aim is to determine whether ICG-assisted ureter visualization can reduce operative time for endometriosis resection and ureterolysis, and minimize the risk of ureteral injury. Secondary objectives are to assess the feasibility and safety of temporary ureteral ICG stenting for intraoperative ureter identification in advanced endometriosis.