Current Projects

High Ligation and Recurrence of Inguinal Hernias in Adolescents

Enrollment Completed; Data Analysis

Different surgical techniques are used to repair indirect inguinal hernias in children than are used in adults, but it is unclear how adolescents should be treated. Some surgeons use a set age to determine when to offer an “adult-style” repair, which traditionally uses mesh to reinforce the pelvic floor, but there are other important factors to consider such as patient sex, obesity, and history of athletic participation. This study will identify patient factors in addition to age that should be used to select which adolescents are optimally treated with a “pediatric-style” repair (high-ligation) and which should receive an ”adult-style” repair (mesh-based floor repair).

PI: Brian Gulack

Water Beads Ingestion in Children - Who Requires Surgery

Enrollment Completed; Data Analysis

Water beads are commonly ingested in children, and while some may pass spontaneously, others can become stuck requiring surgery to relieve the associated bowel obstruction. This study will use multi-institutional data to better determine which patients can be safely observed, and which are more likely to require surgery after water bead ingestion.

PI: Jose Salazar Osuna

Infant Perianal Abscess Quality Improvement Project

Enrollment Completed; Data Analysis

Perianal abscesses are very common in children under on year of age. These often recur and can be frustrating to treat for both families and caregivers. Current management may include incision and drainage, aspiration, observation, antibiotics, or a combination of these. There is no standard of care, and evidence-to-date is mixed with a wide range of reported recurrence rates from various methods of treatment. Our hypothesis is that implementation of a protocol for management of infant perianal abscesses that minimizes early surgical instrumentation will improve patient care, decreased time to abscess resolution and decreased use of surgical intervention.

PI: Elizabeth Fialkowski

Pilonidal Disease Study

Enrollment Completed; Data Analysis

This study is a multi-center, non-randomized controlled trial. Pilonidal disease can be a frustrating condition, with a chronic and relapsing course. There is no clear optimal treatment. Minimally invasive pilonidal excision (MIPE) allows for a rapid return to activity following treatment, likely at a cost of higher recurrence. This is a prospective observational non-randomized clinical trial assessing different surgical treatments for pilonidal disease. This trial allows for patient and/or surgeon to dictate the operation performed. Outcome measures, including need for second operative procedure, time to return to school/work, frequency of surgical complications, patient satisfaction and QOL will be captured. In addition, surgeon perspectives on the procedure will be studied. This study is registered on clinicaltrials.gov.

PI: Aaron Lipskar (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03772873)