4 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Postoperative urinary retention has been defined as the inability to void despite having fluid in the bladder during the postoperative period. Urinary retention after pelvic reconstructive surgery requiring indwelling catheter or self-catheterization usage occurs in approximately 30-60% of patients postoperatively. Our prior retrospective chart review reviewing postoperative urinary retention rates after pelvic reconstructive surgery demonstrated postoperative urinary retention after a sacrospinous vaginal vault suspension to be approximately 78.9%. Many women consider being discharged home with a Foley catheter to be a surgical complication and describe catheter use as the worst aspect of their surgery. Indwelling catheters are the leading cause of hospital-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs), are often a source of embarrassment and inconvenience for patients, and often require additional office visits and healthcare utilization. Tizanidine is a muscle relaxant which can work to alleviate this spasm and, theoretically, prevent postoperative urinary retention. Tizanidine also works as an alpha-adrenergic receptor blocker which can increase smooth muscle relaxation around the urethra specifically and, theoretically, improve urine flow. Postoperative urinary retention is extremely common after pelvic reconstructive surgery involving a sacrospinous vaginal vault suspension and is extremely bothersome to patients. Tizanidine is a low-risk, well tolerated, cost-effective medication. No study to date has evaluated preoperative administration of tizanidine for postoperative urinary retention.
Women will be invited to participate in E-OPTIMAL at their last clinical follow-up visit for OPTIMAL (at 24 months post surgery). E-OPTIMAL is an extension of the ongoing OPTIMAL study and no new study treatment interventions will be given. Rather an enrollment intervention will be investigated with potential E-OPTIMAL participants randomly assigned to watch a standardized video prior to consent or undergo the standard informed consent process. The standardized video will review the rationale for women's health research, the importance of long-term follow-up and a detailed invitation to participate in E-OPTIMAL. The video has undergone review by potential subjects, coordinators and physician researchers to ensure that the relevance and importance of issues potentially impacting on long-term participation in studies such as E-OPTIMAL are covered. Participation in E-OPTIMAL will occur up to three additional years. Women will be strongly encouraged to participate in annual examinations and annual telephone surveys but may participate in only one of these study parts if needed. We propose to test the following null hypotheses: 1. There will be no difference in time to surgical failure between uterosacral vaginal vault ligament suspension (ULS) and sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF) up to 5 years after surgery. 2. The addition of a standardized video detailing the importance of long-term follow-up studies for POP to the informed consent process will not improve enrollment or retention in E-OPTIMAL.
Pelvic organ prolapse is common among women with a prevalence that has been estimated to be as high as 30%. Pelvic organ prolapse often involves a combination of support defects involving the anterior, posterior and/or apical vaginal segments. While the anterior vaginal wall is the segment most likely to demonstrate recurrent prolapse after reconstructive surgery, reoperations are highest among those who require apical suspension procedures with or without repair of other vaginal segments (12%-33%). Despite the substantial health impact, there is a paucity of high quality evidence to support different practices in the management of prolapse, particularly surgery. Thus, the objectives of the Operations and Pelvic Muscle Training in the Management of Apical Support Loss (OPTIMAL) Trial are: 1. to compare sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF) to uterosacral vaginal vault ligament suspension (ULS); and 2. to assess the role of perioperative behavioral therapy/pelvic muscle training (PMT) in women undergoing vaginal surgery for apical or uterine prolapse and stress urinary incontinence.
Sacrospinous ligament suspension (SSLS) was first described in 1958. It is commonly performed for correction of apical prolapse. A combination of delayed absorbable and/or permanent sutures are commonly used for the procedure. When permanent sutures are used, risk of suture-related complications is present and patients may require suture removal. In available literature, there is limited data comparing the efficacy and suture-related complications when using different types of sutures. A previous randomized controlled trial demonstrated that using an absorbable suture is equally efficacious as delayed absorbable sutures in SSLS. However, there is no comparison to absorbable versus permanent suture. Our aim is to compare the absorbable suture versus permanent suture for treating pelvic organ prolapse and to compare suture-related complications. Our primary outcome is comparing POPQ point C at 12 month follow up for absorbable vs permanent suture. Participants will be randomized 1:1 to absorbable or permanent suture. Follow up will occur at 2-4 weeks, 12 weeks and 12 months after the surgery.