Natural Course of Pain Following Surgery Through an Abdominal Incision

NCT ID: NCT04088838

Last Updated: 2024-12-31

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

650 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2020-01-01

Study Completion Date

2025-07-31

Brief Summary

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Chronic abdominal pain is highly prevalent in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Adhesions are reported to be one of the most common causes of chronic pain after surgery. There is little epidemiological data on the natural course and risk factors of pain. In this study the investigators will assess risk factors for chronic pain and natural course by tracking pain scores through an app in a cohort of 1,500 patients undergoing abdominal surgery. In part two of the study patients with persistent abdominal pain at 12 months, that meet IASP criteria for chronic pain will have clinical investigations to determine the cause of their pain. This investigation includes cineMRI for diagnosis and mapping of adhesions.

Detailed Description

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Rationale: Chronic abdominal and pelvic pain are highly prevalent in among patients who had abdominal surgery in history. An estimate of 11-20% of all patients undergoing different kinds of abdominal surgery will develop chronic abdominal pain. Adhesions (a form of internal scar tissue) are the most common pathology found in patients undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy for pain. Other factors that might be associated with chronic post-operative pain are anxiety, depression, and female sex. Little is known about the natural course of pain after abdominal surgery, risk factors for developing chronic pain, and the mechanisms causing pain in patients with adhesions. In this longitudinal study the investigators will prospectively study the natural course of pain through repeated measurements, and predictive factors for chronification of pain after different types of abdominal surgery.

Objective: In Phase 1 the investigators will study the natural course of pain following abdominal surgery. Primary objective for phase 1 is to assess risk factors for chronic pain at 12 months after surgery; where chronic pain is defined as daily continues or intermittent pain with maximal pain scores of 4 or higher during more than 3 months in accordance to IASP criteria. As a pivotal secondary outcome we will describe and model the duration (days) of moderate (worst pain score 4 to 6) to severe pain (worst pain score 7 or higher), and assess factors that impact the chance in painscore using mixed models. In phase two the investigators will assess the impact of adhesions on chronic pain. Primary objective for phase two is to compare incidence and extent of adhesions on cineMRI between patients who developed chronic pain and patients who did not develop chronic pain at 12 months after surgery.

Study design: This is prospective cohort study, including 1,500 patients scheduled for elective abdominal surgery. In phase one, patients are asked to fill a comprehensive questionnaire, including quality of life assessment and a comprehensive assessment of potential predictive factors for chronic pain prior to surgery. Post-operatively pain symptoms will be monitored using short daily and weekly questionnaires taken by m-health and e-health techniques to study natural course of pain. A comprehensive assessment of pain, quality of life, and medical consumption will be taken at 3,6, and 12 months post-operatively.

In phase two of the study patients who developed chronic pain will be invited for mapping of adhesions using cineMRI. Results of mapping of adhesions using cineMRI in patients with chronic abdominal pain will be compared to mapping of adhesions in 100 patients matched for type of surgery and risk factors who did not develop chronic pain.

Study population: 1,500 patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery from different surgical subspecialties (e.g. colorectal, upper-GI, and gynaecological surgery), aged 18 years or older.

Main study parameters/endpoints: Main study outcome for phase one are risk factors for development of chronic pain at 12 months post-operative. Pivotal secondary outcomes include description of the median duration (days) of moderate to severe abdominal pain following abdominal surgery, and modelling of factors that impact change in abdominal pain after surgery. Other secondary outcomes include health-related quality of life, healthcare utilization, and return to daily activity or work.

Main outcomes for phase two is the percentage of patients with adhesions on cineMRI as compared between patients with and without chronic pain. Secondary outcomes relate to the appearance of adhesions on cineMRI, and included extent and the loss of shear.

Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation, benefit and group relatedness: In phase one of this cohort study patients will be asked to fill repeated questionnaires on pain and potential risk factors for chronic pain. The intake questionnaire prior to surgery will take approximately 60 minutes to fill. Post-operatively we will send short questionnaires that take 2-5 minutes to fill. These questionnaires will be send daily during the first 60 days after surgery and weekly afterwards. A more comprehensive questionnaire on abdominal pain and complaints that takes 45 minutes to complete will be send at 3,6, and 12 months post-operative. There are no risks related to participation in this study, nor are there direct benefits.

Patients participating in part two of this cohort will undergo cineMRI to evaluate if pain symptoms might relate to adhesions form previous surgery. The MRI will take approximately 20 minutes to perform. MRI is a non-invasive imaging technique without health risks. However, there is a risk of incidental findings that do not relate to the subject of this study (adhesion formation). Patients who do not want to be informed about incidental findings will be excluded from phase two. In a subset female patients who had pelvic surgery and resection of the uterus an additional transvaginal ultrasound will be made. Like MRI, this is a non-invasive diagnostic test without health risks. There is some additional inconvenience by the use of a transvaginal ultrasound prove. The test will take approximately 15 min.

Conditions

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Adhesions Abdominal Adhesions Pelvic Surgery Induced Tissue Adhesions Chronic Pain

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Patients undergoing abdominal surgery

All adult patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery are eligible. Abdominal surgery includes each operation in which the peritoneal cavity is openen, i.e. laparotomy or laparoscopy.

Pain tracking app

Intervention Type OTHER

In this study no clinical interventions are made. Patients scheduled for surgery will be treated according to the standard of care. All patients enrolled will have an application installed to track their pain symptoms through short daily and weekly questionnaires.

Interventions

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Pain tracking app

In this study no clinical interventions are made. Patients scheduled for surgery will be treated according to the standard of care. All patients enrolled will have an application installed to track their pain symptoms through short daily and weekly questionnaires.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Adult patients, aged above 18 years
* Planned for elective abdominal surgery, e.g. laparotomy or laparoscopy


* Patients who developed chronic post-operative abdominal pain according to IASP criteria:
* Daily pain in the past three months
* Pain is continues or intermittent
* Pain scores for the worst pain are 4 or higher
* Or patients without chronic pain (n=100) who are propensity matched for type of surgery and risk factors for developing chronic pain.

Exclusion Criteria

A potential subject who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:

* Mental incompetence
* Planned for laparoscopic cholecystectomy
* Planned for Caesarean section


* Contra-indications for MRI (without contrast) including:
* Severe claustrophobia
* Metal splinters in eyes
* Cerebral vascular clips
* Electronic medical implants
* Patients who do not want to be informed about potential incidental findings of MRI-scan
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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ZonMw: The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Radboud University Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

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Maasziekenhuis Pantein

Boxmeer, Gelderland, Netherlands

Site Status

Radboud University Medical Center

Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands

Site Status

Maastricht Universitair Medisch Centrum+

Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands

Site Status

Rijnstate Hospital

Arnhem, , Netherlands

Site Status

Slingeland Hospital

Doetinchem, , Netherlands

Site Status

Gelderse Vallei Hospital

Ede, , Netherlands

Site Status

Canisius Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis

Nijmegen, , Netherlands

Site Status

Countries

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Netherlands

References

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van den Beukel BAW, Stommel MWJ, van Leuven S, Strik C, IJsseldijk MA, Joosten F, van Goor H, Ten Broek RPG. A Shared Decision Approach to Chronic Abdominal Pain Based on Cine-MRI: A Prospective Cohort Study. Am J Gastroenterol. 2018 Aug;113(8):1229-1237. doi: 10.1038/s41395-018-0158-9. Epub 2018 Jun 27.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29946174 (View on PubMed)

Strik C, van den Beukel B, van Rijckevorsel D, Stommel MWJ, Ten Broek RPG, van Goor H. Risk of Pain and Gastrointestinal Complaints at 6Months After Elective Abdominal Surgery. J Pain. 2019 Jan;20(1):38-46. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2018.07.010. Epub 2018 Aug 11.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30107242 (View on PubMed)

Randall D, Joosten F, Ten Broek RP, Gillott R, Bardhan KD, Strik C, Prins W, van Goor H, Fenner JW. A novel diagnostic aid for intra-abdominal adhesion detection in cine-MRI: pilot study and initial diagnostic impressions. Br J Radiol. 2017 Aug;90(1077):20170158. doi: 10.1259/bjr.20170158. Epub 2017 Jul 14.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28707532 (View on PubMed)

van den Beukel BA, de Ree R, van Leuven S, Bakkum EA, Strik C, van Goor H, Ten Broek RPG. Surgical treatment of adhesion-related chronic abdominal and pelvic pain after gynaecological and general surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod Update. 2017 May 1;23(3):276-288. doi: 10.1093/humupd/dmx004.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28333221 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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NL68853.091.19

Identifier Type: REGISTRY

Identifier Source: secondary_id

2019-5241

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id