SORE Study: Sitz Baths After Urogynecologic Reconstruction (SORE)

November 25, 2025 updated by: Yale University
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utility of postoperative sitz baths in patient pain perception and recovery following surgical repair of prolapse. The SORE Study is a prospective, randomized controlled trial that aims to compare postoperative pain intensity one week after native tissue repair of pelvic organ prolapse for patients undergoing a sitz bath regimen versus usual care. Findings from this study may contribute to more robust, multimodal postoperative pain management plans if proven efficacious or, alternatively, reduce plastic medical waste and simplify postoperative pain plans if found to be ineffective.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The primary objective of the SORE study is to compare postoperative pain intensity one week after native tissue repair of pelvic organ prolapse for patients undergoing a sitz bath regimen versus usual care.

The secondary objectives of this study are to evaluate patient satisfaction with pain management after native tissue prolapse repair (and specifically posterior repair and/or perineorrhaphy), patient-reported opioid requirements, healthcare utilization, postoperative pain plan adherence, and incisional healing and complications between those undergoing a sitz bath regimen versus usual care.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

112

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

    • Connecticut
      • Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States, 06610
        • Recruiting
        • Bridgeport Hospital
      • Greenwich, Connecticut, United States, 06830
        • Recruiting
        • Greenwich Hospital
      • New Haven, Connecticut, United States, 06520
        • Recruiting
        • Yale-New Haven Hospital
      • New London, Connecticut, United States, 06320
        • Recruiting
        • Lawrence + Memorial Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Female ≥ 18 years of age at time of surgery
  • English or Spanish-speaking
  • Documentation of pelvic organ prolapse as evidenced by Stage 2, 3, or 4 prolapse on preoperative Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system (POP-Q) examination
  • Surgery to be performed by a urogynecologist
  • Ambulatory or inpatient surgery acceptable

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Mesh-augmented prolapse repair (robotic, laparoscopic, or open sacrocolpopexy or sacrohysteropexy, vaginal mesh)
  • Urogynecologic surgery without prolapse repair (i.e. midurethral sling, intravesicular botox, hysterectomy only)
  • Suspected genital herpes simplex virus (HSV), molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV), condyloma acuminata, or vulvar/vaginal skin and soft tissue infection at recruitment by patient report
  • Daily opioid use (short or long-acting)
  • Concurrent non-urogynecologic surgery (i.e. rectopexy, staging or debulking for malignancy)
  • Lack of access to operative report
  • Pregnant (as determined by positive urine pregnancy test on the day of surgery via standard testing or current pregnancy documented in the preoperative note)
  • Incarcerated
  • Unable to give consent/conserved
  • Unable to complete study intervention or assessment per investigators

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Sitz baths plus usual care
Warm water sitz baths plus usual care. 7-day nightly regimen of warm water soaks without additives.
Warm water sitz bath, 7 nights, 10 minutes each
No Intervention: Usual care
Care as usual

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Pain Intensity (PROMIS-PI) short form 3a questionnaire
Time Frame: Day 7 Post surgery
Pain intensity will be assessed on a 15-point scale evaluating current, worst, and average pain on postoperative day 7 following prolapse repair and converted to a T- score using general population data. Higher scores indicate increased pain intensity.
Day 7 Post surgery

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mean score patient satisfaction
Time Frame: Day 7 Post surgery
Satisfaction with postoperative pain management on a 0-100 mm visual analog scale
Day 7 Post surgery
Mean Oxycodone use
Time Frame: Day 7 Post surgery
Mean number of oxycodone tablets used postoperatively
Day 7 Post surgery
Comfort with postoperative pain plan
Time Frame: Day 7 Post surgery
Participant comfort level with managing postoperative multimodal pain plan on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = very uncomfortable, 5 = very comfortable)
Day 7 Post surgery
Comfort with postoperative pain plan using Sitz bath
Time Frame: Day 7 Post surgery
Participant comfort with sitz bath setup and cleanup, accessibility to bathroom use, physical comfort during and after use of sitz bath on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = very uncomfortable, 5 = very comfortable)
Day 7 Post surgery
Sitz bath use- Adherence
Time Frame: Day 7 Post surgery
Total use of sitz baths in minutes
Day 7 Post surgery
Barriers to use- Adherence
Time Frame: Day 7 Post surgery
Number of barriers to use perceived by self-report
Day 7 Post surgery
Number of participants with rare adverse effects
Time Frame: Day 7 Post surgery
Number of participants with any rare adverse effects per protocol
Day 7 Post surgery
Mean Opioid use
Time Frame: Day 7 Post surgery
Mean number of requests for opioid refills postoperatively
Day 7 Post surgery
Mean number of calls regarding pain
Time Frame: Up to Day 90 Post surgery
Mean number of calls or messages for postoperative pain within 90 days of surgery via review of medical record
Up to Day 90 Post surgery
Mean number of Emergency Department visits
Time Frame: Up to Day 90 Post surgery
Mean number of emergency department visits within 90 days of surgery via review of medical record
Up to Day 90 Post surgery

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Collaborators

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Nancy Ringel, MD, MS, Yale University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

October 28, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

March 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 8, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 8, 2025

First Posted (Estimated)

October 14, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

December 3, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 25, 2025

Last Verified

November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2000040422

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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