Clinical Research

Bariatric Clinical Research

Weekly clinical research meetings, attended by the Minimally Invasive Surgery attending physicians, fellows, research residents, and rotating medical students, is held at the CASIT conference room. Members have been accumulating a database of all the bariatric and other non-bariatric laparoscopic surgical cases since January of 2003. Accurate outcomes analyses have resulted in numerous oral and poster presentations at various surgical societies and publications in surgical journals. Participants are also initiating several prospective clinical trials in hopes of improving surgical outcomes and patient care through the practice of evidence-based medicine.

Investigators:
(PI) Erik Dutson, MD, Division of General Surgery
Amir Mehran, MD, Division of General Surgery
SooHwa Han, MD, Division of General Surgery

Internal Cryoblation and Radiofrequency Ablation of Renal Tissue

A funded research project from Galil Medical is supporting a research project on the effects of internal cryoblation and radiofrequency ablation of renal tissue involving the collecting system in a porcine model. Ablative techniques are being evaluated to look at the efficacy and safety of cryotherapy and radiofrequency ablation of cortical and deep renal tissue. These studies have indicated that renal cortical tissue can be treated effectively and destroyed by either cryoblation or radiofrequency ablation. However, treatment of deep parenchymal lesions with either modality may result in incomplete ablation. Cryosurgery but not radiofrequency ablation appears to spare the collecting system in an acute setting; however, healing and regrowth of the urethelia may occur. Laparoscopic ultrasound is more accurate in cryolesion monitoring than transcutaneous ultrasound.

Investigators:
(PI) Peter Schulam, MD, Department of Urology