Clinical trials

This single-center randomized controlled trial evaluates whether donor-derived fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) administered within 6 hours after birth can improve gut microbiota development and reduce the risk of immune-mediated and metabolic diseases in infants born by elective cesarean delivery. Newborns are randomized 1:1 to receive either donor-derived FMT or standard postnatal care. Participants are followed through 36 months of age with stool samples, questionnaires, growth assessments, and health data collection, with registry-based follow-up continuing until 10 years of age.

Acute cholecystitis is common in elderly patients and becomes more frequent with increasing age. Standard treatment is laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LCC), but operative treatment may be associated with increased risk in older patients with substantial comorbidity or reduced tolerance of general anesthesia. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD) is a minimally invasive internal drainage procedure performed through the stomach or duodenum using endoscopic ultrasound guidance and a lumen-apposing metal stent. This approach may provide an alternative to operative treatment in selected elderly patients. The CHOICE study (CHolecystitis Outcomes in the Investigation of Cholecystectomy versus EUS-GBD) is a multicenter randomized controlled trial comparing EUS-GBD with LCC in patients aged 75 years or older with acute cholecystitis. Participants are randomly assigned to undergo either laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder or endoscopic ultrasound-guided internal gallbladder drainage. The objective of the study is to determine whether EUS-GBD provides clinically acceptable outcomes compared with standard operative treatment in this patient population. Participants are followed using medical record review and scheduled follow-up contacts.

The study investigates effectiveness of different smoking cessation methods and low-dose CT based lung cancer screening

Emergency hernia repairs are associated with significantly higher morbidity and mortality compared with elective hernia surgery. In Finland, approximately 500 emergency groin hernia repairs and 600 ventral hernia repairs are performed annually, but treatment practices vary widely, and high-quality evidence is lacking. This prospective multicenter cohort study will evaluate outcomes of emergency groin and ventral hernia repairs in Finland. About 600 patients will be recruited over two years and followed for five years postoperatively. The study will collect standardized data on patient demographics, comorbidities, surgical technique, intraoperative findings, postoperative course, and long-term follow-up. Quality of life will be assessed with RAND-36, AAS, and PROMIS questionnaires. The primary endpoint is hernia recurrence within two years after surgery. Secondary outcomes include 30- and 90-day complications, infection rates, readmissions, recovery time, and quality of life at 1, 2, and 5 years. The results will provide robust evidence to guide clinical practice, optimize surgical techniques, and refine urgency classification and surgeon competence requirements for emergency hernia repair.

The aim of the study is to investigate and improve non-pharmacological rehabilitation methods for patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) to reduce pain and restore work and functional capacity to lower overall treatment costs. Current treatment methods offer limited rehabilitation potential for this challenging pain condition, so efforts should be made to raise the level of care and rehabilitation for a disease that often causes long-term and severe reductions in patients' functional and occupational abilities. CRPS patients almost always have to substantially reduce their work hours or withdrawn from the workforce for extended periods, and often permanently, increasing the urgency of strengthening rehabilitation approaches; a CRPS symptoms can end a patient's productivity for society. In addition, commonly used medications are a significant expense for both individuals and the healthcare system. CRPS rarely resolves fully, and even with extensive rehabilitation only a small proportion of patients regain sufficient improvement to return to work at a level of at least 60% capacity. Participants will be recruited from the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Oulu University Hospital, where CRPS diagnostics for the Northern Ostrobothnia area are primarily conducted. The study will be carried out at OYS rehabilitation outpatient clinics. A total of 39 participants will be recruited into each of four study groups, for an overall sample size of 156 individuals. Each study group will receive repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) at some point, and functional neurological rehabilitation will be combined with rTMS in varying ways (content and timing will differ between groups). All participants will receive basic CRPS rehabilitation (physiotherapy and occupational therapy) that is provided for all RPS patients, and the timing of this relative to rTMS will also be varied. Recruitment is planned to begin in a autumn 2025.

* Background: Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) are the most common complications after major upper abdominal surgery. PPCs include respiratory infections, severe atelectasis, pleural effusion, bronchospasm, aspiration pneumonitis, pneumothorax, exacerbation of chronic pulmonary condition, and respiratory failure. Although PPC rates are higher after open liver surgery, PPCs still occur in approximately 12-13% of patients undergoing laparoscopic liver surgery. Preoperative respiratory physiotherapy education reduces PPCs after open major abdominal surgery and after laparoscopic colorectal surgery. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of enhanced perioperative pulmonary physiotherapy on the incidence of PPCs after laparoscopic liver surgery. * Methods: A prospective, multicentre, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial will be conducted according to the study protocol at participating centers. A total of 326 patients scheduled for laparoscopic liver surgery will be randomized at a 1:1 ratio into intervention group or standard Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) -based perioperative education group. Surgeons/ researchers are blinded to the patient allocation. Patients in the intervention group receive preoperative breathing education in a single session and an educational video to guide pulmonary training at home. Pulmonary training lasts for 7 days prior to surgery and for 7 days postoperatively. The training includes deep breathing, and coughing, pursed lip breathing and positive expiratory pressure (PEP) therapy. Patients receive instructions for conducting exercises along with an individual risk assessment at a preoperative ambulatory visit. The exercise session (10min) is to be performed two times daily for total of 14 days. The control group receives standard perioperative breathing education. Primary outcome is the rate of postoperative pulmonary complications within 14 days of operation. Secondary outcomes include 90-day mortality, Clavien-Dindo classified complications, length of hospital stay, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and hospital costs. * Discussion: Little effort is currently put into preventing pulmonary complications after surgery, although PPCs aggravate considerable morbidity and costs to health care system. ERAS Society protocols concentrate mainly on optimizing postoperative recovery. Laparoscopic techniques as such and frequent manipulation of the diaphragm during liver surgery provoke PPCs at a considerable rate. Aim of the study is to present a short-and-easy perioperative pulmonary physiotherapy initiative and evaluate its impact on PPC rate and PPCs ramifications, including direct costs, after laparoscopic liver surgery.

This medical education study investigates stress levels among undergraduate medical students during basic life support (BLS) training. It compares traditional face-to-face teaching session with virtual reality (VR) training simulating a resuscitation scenario in a public place. We will measure heart rate, heart rate variability, and self-reported stress to assess acute stress responses. The study also examines physical sensations related to VR, the realism of the virtual environment, and the suitability of VR for BLS training.

It is both timely and important to invest in interventions that can improve healthy emotional co-regulation. It is proposed to evaluate the feasibility and limited efficacy of an adapted, brief, multimodal intervention: ECoFam (Emotional connection and Co-regulation for Families). Evidence from the US suggests intervention effects on maternal and infant outcomes that are large in effect size (i.e., Cohen's d \>0.6 for increasing emotional connection and decreasing maternal depressive symptoms) (21-23). The study results will directly translate evidence into practice and, if found feasible, allow rapid scaling-up. Objectives: 1. Build capacity for implementation of a novel diagnostic screening tool for emotional co-regulation, the uWECS, as part of clinical follow-up for mother-infant dyads with high fibrobesity risk in Finland. 2. Test the feasibility and limited efficacy of the brief, multimodal ECoFam intervention to foster healthy emotional co-regulation between mothers with PCOS and obesity and their infants.

The main purpose of this study is to evaluate Fetal Medicine Foundation's pre-eclampsia risk calculator using maternal characteristics, first trimester serum placental growth factor (PlGF) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) in a Finnish general population. Condition or disease: pre-eclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, polycystic ovary syndrome

The effects of psychological treatment, mentalization-based therapy, will be studied among persons with mental disorders seeking help from mental health care services.

This multicenter randomized controlled trial evaluates the effect of first-visit foam sclerotherapy (including sub-ulcer foam sclerotherapy) in patients with venous leg ulcer.

Use of information and communication technology -based health behavior change support system in modifying lifestyle after delivery among women with obesity.

Paraesophageal hernia causes pain, heartburn, regurgitation, anemia and in extreme, life-threatening strangulation. For symptomatic patients, laparoscopic surgery is offered which includes hiatal defect closure and antireflux surgery. However, recurrence rates are high between 12 and 42%. In order to reduce recurrences, mesh has been used with various materials and techniques with conflicting results. Non-absorbable mesh has been linked with adverse events including erosion of esophageal wall. Traditionally used biological mesh materials are expensive and therefore problematic in routine use. Use of polyglactin (Vicryl®) mesh, which degrades in 6-8 week, has been reported in paraesophageal hernia surgery. Previously, no randomized controlled trial comparing sutures only and polyglactin mesh has been performed. In this trial, the aim was to randomize total of 110 patients to receive sutures only or mesh repair. Primary outcome was recurrence of paraesophageal hernia at 6 months after the repair based on computed tomography scan. Secondary outcomes included symptomatic recurrences, reoperation rate, quality of life, reoperations up to 20-years after surgery and use of proton pump inhibitors up to 20-years after surgery.