Clinical Research Directory

Prospective Study of Sensation and Satisfaction in Cancer and Transgender Mastectomy Patients

During breast surgery, sensory nerves are cut which may lead to reduced sensation and pain. Surgical reinnervation techniques have been developed with the aim of improving postoperative sensation by preserving the nerves and connecting them to the nipple and areola. The investigators aim to compare postoperative sensation and patient reported outcomes in patients undergoing reinnervation versus those not undergoing reinnervation to determine if there is a difference. The investigators will investigate this in patients undergoing gender-affirming mastectomy, implant-based breast reconstruction and autologous breast reconstruction. The investigators will use various tools that measure sensation quantitatively.

VR to Evaluate Phantom Limb Pain

The objective of this study is to develop a virtual rehabilitation system that can be used to effectively treat Phantom Limb Pain (PLP) within the research setting and for at-home use by individuals with upper and lower extremity amputation. We hypothesize that the system will improve PLP for individuals with upper or lower extremity amputation, as measured through with various outcome measures and questionnaires.

Neural Bases of Phantom Pain After Amputation

The amputation of a limb results in chronic pain associated with the lost limb in the majority of patients, which persists over time. Despite a large number of studies conducted in an attempt to elucidate the neural basis of phantom pain, these are still not elucidated and current treatments often fail to relieve patients' pain.