3 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Prior to surgery, gynecologists and urogynecologists have routinely prescribed preoperative mechanical bowel preparations in attempts to decrease the risk of infection, while also providing easier bowel manipulation and better visualization during surgery. However, many of these proposed benefits have never been proven, and usage of bowel preparations amongst surgeons remains highly variable. In both the general surgery and gynecology literature, researchers have begun to question the need for the vigorous preparations. Aside from surgical visualization, urogynecologists have additional concerns about how bowel preparations may impact postoperative bowel function given up to half of women with pelvic floor disorders have baseline constipation and straining is known to impact surgical recovery. Many studies have addressed various postoperative fiber and laxative preparations in attempts to improve postoperative bowel-related symptomatology, but none have specifically looked at preoperative bowel preparations. This study aims to determine if mechanical bowel preparation prior to minimally invasive sacral colpopexy affects patients' postoperative recovery, specifically related to bowel symptomatology; operative or post-operative complications; surgeons' perceptions of surgical difficulty directly attributed to the bowel; and post-operative return of normal bowel function.
Current management of elective bowel surgery typically involves performing a preoperative bowel preparation ("bowel prep") in many instances; however, this practice is not standardized at most institutions. Over the years, bowel preps have been used in an attempt to decrease the risk of complications associated with gastrointestinal surgery. However, there is limited adequate data to support this clinical management in the pediatric patient population. The investigator plans to perform a prospective, randomized study of our pediatric surgical patients who will undergo an elective bowel resection or ostomy closure to assess if a bowel prep prior to surgical intervention affects their postoperative course. The aim of this study is to evaluate for differences that may alter and improve future management.
Preoperative bowel preparation for surgical management of pelvic floor disorders is performed inconsistently, and includes no prep, the use of dietary changes or bowel altering interventions. Retrospective studies of emergency colonic surgery first demonstrated a low rate of infectious complications without a bowel prep. Recently, data supporting the routine use of mechanical cleansing for elective colorectal surgery has demonstrated the surgical outcomes are similar between patients that undergo a bowel preparation versus those that do not, indicating that the long held dogma of mechanical bowel preparation should be used selectively. Despite routine use, there is a paucity of literature addressing the approach to, and/or need for preoperative bowel management at the time of vaginal reconstructive or obliterative surgery. The majority of the pelvic floor disorder population is older, tending to have more bowel dysfunction (especially symptoms of constipation) than younger women. The aim of this study is to evaluate preoperative bowel management strategy as it relates to the total care of the vaginal surgery patients' intra-and post-operative bowel function and overall patient experience. Two commonly used pre-operative bowel prep strategies: no preoperative bowel prep versus clear fluids and 2-enema prep. The aim is to assess the value of bowel preparation or diet change in vaginal surgery, both from the physician's and patient's point of view. In this pilot study, subjects are randomized to either a clear liquid diet the day prior to surgery with 2 enemas and nothing by mouth (NPO) after midnight, or NPO after midnight without any dietary changes or enemas. Our aims are: \*Primary - To assess the surgeons' objective intraoperative evaluation of the effects of bowel preparation (adequate visualization, stooling during case, difficulty with bowel handling) \*Secondary - (1)To characterize the patients' experience and acceptance of preoperative bowel management regimen versus no preoperative bowel preparation(2) To characterize the patients' postoperative experience and determine if the preoperative bowel regimen affects time to first bowel movement/first normal stool as well as stool experience as recorded by bowel diary (3)Evaluate the incidence of complications between the two groups (4)Characterize other descriptive qualities of the patients' operative experience(duration of case, length of hospital stay)