Assessment of Changes in Vaginal Microbiota Profiles Before and After Vaginal Urogynecologic Surgery

NCT ID: NCT04301401

Last Updated: 2026-01-13

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

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

60 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2020-03-01

Study Completion Date

2023-10-10

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Several studies have shown interactions between vaginal microbiota and post-surgical evolution. A study conducted by our team showed a tendency for patients with complications to have a greater diversity of vaginal microbiota. The main objective of the proposed study will therefore be to evaluate the vaginal, urinary and digestive microbiota modifications during and after vaginal surgery and to correlate them with the symptoms of the urogynecological sphere.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

In gynecological surgery, surgical site infections are a common complication. Gynecological surgery and, more specifically, vaginal surgery leads to a high risk of infection not only due to its " clean-contaminated " nature related to the proximity of the vagina but also due to the use of a transvaginal mesh or suburetal sling. The germs most commonly found at the origin of a surgical site infection are germs forming part of the vaginal flora.

Furthermore, in the field of pelvic organ prolapse surgery, certain specific complications such as mesh retraction and mesh exposure may be related to infection due to bacterial colonisation.

The vaginal ecosystem contains a large quantity of bacteria, the commonest of which are lactobacilli. This ecosystem varies in women depending on their sexuality, hormonal impregnation, tobacco consumption or hygiene.It has been demonstrated that the microbiota can be divided into 7 classes depending on the predominant types of germ. It has also been shown that an imbalance in vaginal flora could be responsible for infections of the upper genital tract, obstetric complications or even the transmission of sexually transmissible diseases.

Several studies have shown interactions between the microbiota and post surgical evolution. A recent study carried out at the Gynecology and Obstetrics department of Nîmes University Hospital (Veit Rubin et al, NAU 2019) also investigated the relationship between vaginal microbiota and the onset of postoperative complications in transvaginal mesh surgery. This retrospective study also found that patients with complications tended to have a greater diversity of microbiota. Furthermore, certain species of bacteria (Veillonella spp) seemed to be commoner in patients with complications. However, this was a low-powered retrospective study with few participants and the results therefore need to be confirmed.

Our hypothesis is that the vaginal microbiota may be modified by a surgical act with a vaginal approach. There are very few studies on vaginal microbiota and so far no studies have evaluated the potential impact of a transvaginal surgery on vaginal microbiota.

Our study may help to better understand the relationship between the vaginal microbiota and the postoperative evolution of patients.These possible modifications in vaginal microbiota might be predictive of the symptomatology of patients benefitting from transvaginal surgery and play a role in the the post-operative evolution of these patients.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Gynecological Surgery

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Patients being evaluated for changes in microbiota

Patients being evaluated for changes in vaginal microbiota following transvaginal surgery.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Vaginal swabs

Intervention Type OTHER

On the day of the surgical intervention, vaginal swabs will be taken at various stages of surgery: before vaginal disinfection/draping, directly after disinfection/draping, 1 hour after disinfection, 6 weeks after surgery and 12 months after surgery.

Stool samples

Intervention Type OTHER

Stool samples will also be taken (and collected in a pot devoted to coproculture with an airtight opaque bag given to the patient) at the inclusion visit on the day before surgery and also 6 weeks after surgery (in a second pot with an airtight opaque bag given to the patient at the time of being discharged).

Urine samples

Intervention Type OTHER

Urine samples will also be taken before surgery and 6 weeks after surgery.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Vaginal swabs

On the day of the surgical intervention, vaginal swabs will be taken at various stages of surgery: before vaginal disinfection/draping, directly after disinfection/draping, 1 hour after disinfection, 6 weeks after surgery and 12 months after surgery.

Intervention Type OTHER

Stool samples

Stool samples will also be taken (and collected in a pot devoted to coproculture with an airtight opaque bag given to the patient) at the inclusion visit on the day before surgery and also 6 weeks after surgery (in a second pot with an airtight opaque bag given to the patient at the time of being discharged).

Intervention Type OTHER

Urine samples

Urine samples will also be taken before surgery and 6 weeks after surgery.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* All Caucasian menopausal women (not taking hormone substitutes)
* Due to undergo transvaginal surgery (as a cure for pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence surgery) from the Gynecology departments of Nantes and Nîmes University Hospitals.
* Patients must be covered by a health insurance policy
* Patients must have given written, informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria

* Patients on recent (\<1 month) immunosuppressive therapy,
* Patients with ongoing antibiotic therapy,
* Patients with chronic vaginosis,
* Patients on hormone replacement therapy
* Patients who have had previous transvaginal mesh surgery.
* Patients taking part in another category 1 study for research involving human subjects.
* Patients in an exclusion period determined by another study
* Patients under court custody, guardianship or curatorship
* Patients for whom it has been impossible to give clear information
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Nantes University Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire

Nîmes, Gard, France

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

France

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Zhang Y, Allegre L, Salipante F, Morsli M, Thubert T, Lavigne JP, Dunyach-Remy C, de Tayrac R. Impact of surgical field disinfection on vaginal microbiome in transvaginal urogynecological surgery: a prospective cohort study. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control. 2025 Aug 26;14(1):102. doi: 10.1186/s13756-025-01622-6.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 40859385 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

NIMAO/2019-01/LA-01

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.