Clinical Research Directory

Assessment of Risks of Perinephric Fat Thickness to Adverse Renal Outcomes Post Donor Nephrectomy

The goal of this observational study is to learn if PRAT thickness is a marker of visceral obesity and its influence on donors' kidney function and blood pressure in living kidney donors. Population includes male/female, 18 years and up, living kidney donors scheduled for nephrectomy within 6 months. The main area it aims to help in, is future care managing blood pressure and obesity in living kidney transplant donors. Primary Hypothesis: We hypothesize that Perirenal Fat Thickness (PRAT) may exhibit expansion, remodeling and inflammation that can negatively affect renal outcomes in LKDs. Researchers will compare PRAT morphology and inflammation in LKDs with low and high PRAT thickness. We will also correlate PRAT thickness with renal outcomes including vascular remodeling, at the time of donation and worsening hypertension and inadequately increased compensatory GFR of the LKD at 4-6 months post-donation. Participants will be separated into one of two groups depending on their PRAT measurement and asked to give samples of their blood, perinephric fat, and urine as research samples. Clinically we will abstract data up to 12 months prior and 6 months after their nephrectomy that includes laboratory findings, CT measurements, vitals, exam data, demographics, medical history and current medications.

Low-Thoracic Epidural Anesthesia For Laparoscopic Nephrectomy.

Laparoscopic nephrectomy is a surgical technique to excise a diseased kidney. It's a minimally invasive technique, so when compared to open surgery, it can mean significantly less post-operative pain, shorter hospital stay, earlier return to work and daily life activities, a more favourable cosmetic result and outcomes similar to that of open surgery. Recently, advanced laparoscopic surgery has targeted older and high risk patients for general anesthesia; in these patients, regional anesthesia offers several advantages with improved patient satisfaction. Compared with alternative anesthetic techniques, epidural anesthesia may reduce the risks of venous thromboembolism, myocardial infarction, bleeding complications, pneumonia, respiratory depression and renal failure. The aim of this study is to compare the conventional general anesthetic technique to the regional anesthesia for laparoscopic nephrectomy, in modified lateral decubitus position using low-pressure pneumoperitoneum.

Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound and Super-resolution Imaging Predict Renal Function Outcome After Nephrectomy

The goal of this prospective cohort study is to evaluate the predictive value of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) and Super-Resolution Imaging (SRI) technologies regarding renal function outcomes in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) undergoing partial or radical nephrectomy. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can quantitative parameters of renal microcirculation and microvascular structure derived from CEUS and SRI predict long-term renal function (defined as New Baseline eGFR for radical nephrectomy and Recovery from Ischemia for partial nephrectomy)? Can these imaging parameters accurately predict the occurrence, severity, and early recovery of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI)? Researchers will monitor the dynamic evolution of renal blood flow and microvascular density by comparing the affected kidney to the contralateral healthy kidney before and after surgery to see if these biomarkers correlate with clinical outcomes. Participants will: Undergo CEUS and SRI examinations before surgery and at specific time points after surgery (e.g., within 7 days) to visualize renal microvasculature. Provide blood and urine samples for standard laboratory tests (such as serum creatinine and Cystatin C) to assess kidney function during hospitalization. Attend follow-up visits at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-surgery to monitor long-term renal recovery and complete necessary imaging assessments (CT or Ultrasound).

Pilot Study of an mHealth Intervention for Living Donor Follow-up

The investigators are interested in whether or not the use of a mobile health (mHealth) application increases the rate of follow-up compliance among living kidney donors. The investigators aim to test this by randomly assigning living kidney donors to the intervention (use of mHealth application to complete required living kidney donor follow-up at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years) or control arm (standard of care) upon discharge from their initial donation hospitalization, and tracking follow-up compliance over time. The study population will be approximately 400 living kidney donors who undergo donor nephrectomy at Methodist Specialty and Transplant Hospital (200/year for 2 years). The investigators will also recruit patients from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center into the study, however, these study participants are not a part of the Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT).

Kidney-protective Intervention With Salt Substitute After Kidney Tumor Surgery

This clinical trial is an open-label, randomized controlled study designed to evaluate the efficacyand safety of salt substitutes in protecting renal function after kidney tumor surgery, aiming toprovide dietary renal protection strategies for postoperative kidney tumor patients. lt will alsoassess the feasibility of salt substitute intervention. The primary research questions are: 1. Does a salt substitute diet significantly improve estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) compared to a regular salt diet in postoperative kidney tumor patients? 2. What is the safety profile of salt substitute intervention in postoperative kidney tumor patients? 3. What is the compliance rate among postoperative kidney tumor patients using saltsubstitutes? 4. ls the salt substitute intervention feasible? Researchers will compare the intervention group (salt substitute diet) with the control group (regular salt diet) to determine whether salt substitutes effectively improve postoperative eGFR in kidney tumor patients. Participants will be required to: 1. Consume salt substitutes or regular salt daily while strictly adhering to WHO-recommendedsalt intake levels for 1 year. 2. Undergo scheduled baseline assessments at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-surgery, with 24-hoururine tests at months 1 and 6 to evaluate compliance. 3. Receive regular monitoring of blood electrolytes, eGFR, and other renal function indicators. 4. Document any adverse events or health status changes during the study period.

Evaluation of 'RUS NE' in Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy: Efficacy, Safety, and Stability

This study is a retrospective and prospective comparative study evaluating the efficacy, safety, and stability of the surgical navigation system 'RUS NE' in robot-assisted partial nephrectomy. The study aims to compare intraoperative and postoperative clinical indicators between the experimental group and the control group to verify the clinical effectiveness and stability of RUS NE. This research is conducted as part of the 2025 Corporate Verification Support Project of the Global Innovative Medical Technology Verification Support Center at Asan Medical Center (ARIS Project Number: A20250116) and is supported by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute's healthcare technology research and development program.

Novel Biomarkers and Postoperative Kidney Injury in Radical Nephrectomy

The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) after radical nephrectomy exceeds 40%. Currently, the KDIGO criteria are the recognized diagnostic standard for AKI. These criteria primarily use serum creatinine and urine output as key indicators, but both parameters have certain limitations, such as delayed response, insensitivity, and inaccuracy. This study aims to simultaneously monitor perioperative novel renal damaging, stressful, and functional biomarkers in patients undergoing radical nephrectomy, and to investigate their predictive value for AKI and postoperative 1-year chronic kidney disease (CKD).

HYbrid RObotic Surgery MulTiCentric Study

The purpose of this clinical investigation, HYROS-MTC-I, is to confirm the effectiveness of the combined use of ROB-Bitrack System, its corresponding ElectroSurgical Endoscopic instruments and Non-ElectroSurgical Endoscopic instruments (ESE and NESE instruments respectively) and accessories in a multicentric study in urologic procedures with the indication of a robot assisted laparoscopic Radical/simple nephrectomy (RN), Partial nephrectomy (PN), Radical Prostatectomy (RP or P), and when it applies Lysis of Adhesions (during a PN, RN or RP or P to cut the adhesions and reach the organ) and Lymphadenectomy (only after a P with the aim to remove the lymph nodes) . HYROS-MTC-I is a confirmatory study in which the hypothesis of the primary endpoint is that: "Operative time (OT) with Bitrack System and its ESE/NESE Instruments and accessories will be equal or lower than superiority margin time of State of the Art (SoTA) of MIRS (Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery) independently of the user experience and site". This study includes the data collected up to 30 days post-surgery.

Use of Financial Incentives to Increase Live Kidney Donor Follow-up Compliance

This study evaluates whether using small financial incentives increases patient compliance with nationally-mandated living kidney donor follow-up at 6-months, 1-year, and 2-years after donation. Half of participants will receive a financial incentive (mailed gift card) after completing required follow-up activities (brief questionnaire and lab draw), while the other half will be asked to complete the required follow-up activities but will not receive a financial incentive (current standard of care).

Goal-directed Hemodynamic Management and Kidney Injury After Radical Nephrectomy or Nephroureterectomy

Radical nephrectomy and nephroureterectomy are common operations for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma and upper tract urothelial carcinoma, respectively. However, acute kidney injury frequently occurs after surgery. And the occurrence of acute kidney injury is associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease. Intraoperative hypotension is identified as an important risk factor of postoperative acute kidney injury. Preliminary studies showed that goal-directed hemodynamic management may reduce kidney injury after surgery but requires further demonstration. We hypothesized that goal-directed hemodynamic management combining hydration, inotropes, and forced diuresis to maintain pulse pressure variation \<9%, mean arterial pressure ≥85 mmHg, and urine flow rate \>200 ml/h (3 ml/kg/h) may reduce the incidence of acute kidney injury and improve long-term renal outcome after radical nephrectomy or nephroureterectomy. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of goal-directed hemodynamic management on the occurrence of acute and persistent kidney injury in patients following radical nephrectomy and nephroureterectomy.

Dexmedetomidine Versus Fentanyl as Adjuvants to Erector Spinae Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia Following Simple Nephrectomy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

The aim of this clinical trial is to compare the time to first analgesic request between dexmedetomidine and fentanyl as adjuvants in erector spinae plane block in patients undergoing simple nephrectomy . • Secondary outcome Pain scores; Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) at rest and when coughing \[at 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 24 hours postoperatively.\] The total opiod dose in the first 24 hours postoperatively. Duration of analgesia is defined as duration between block administration and time of first analgesic request. Any adverse effects related to anesthesia or the technique. Incidence of Postoperative nausea \& vomiting . Block related complication during and after block procedure till 24hours postoperatively (local anesthetic systemic toxicity, pneumothorax and vascular puncture during block procedure). Intraoperative haemodynamics parameters MAP ,HR , co2 and SP O2 . Postoperative haemodynamics parameters MAP , HR and SP O2 \[at 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 24 hours postoperatively. \]

Analgesic Efficacy of External Oblique Intercostal Block vs Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Open Surgical Nephrectomy

To compare the efficacy of unilateral ultrasound-guided oblique subcostal transversus abdominis plane block with unilateral ultrasound-guided external oblique intercostal plane block in providing intraoperative and postoperative analgesia in cancer patients undergoing open nephrectomy.