Prometheus: Prophylactic Mesh After OLtx for Hernia Reduction Study. (PROMETHEUS)

July 31, 2026 updated by: Alessandro Anselmo, University of Rome Tor Vergata

Prometheus: Prophylactic Mesh After OLtx for Hernia Reduction Study. A Multicenter Prospective, Consecutive Case Series Study, on the Use of a Bio-absorbable Mesh for Prevention of Incisional Hernia, in High Risk Patients, After Orthotopic Liver Transplantation.

A multicenter prospective, consecutive case series study, on the use of a bio-absorbable mesh for prevention of incisional hernia, in high risk patients, after orthotopic liver transplantation.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Enrolling by invitation

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

STUDY DESIGN Multicenter, prospective, consecutive case series study.

OBJECTIVE The main purpose of the study is to determine whether a bio-absorbable mesh is effective and safe in the prevention of incisional hernia in high risk patients undergoing LT.

Primary endpoint:

• To evaluate the incidence of incisional hernias after LT in a consecutive series of patients that meet the inclusion criteria after conventional abdominal wall closure plus placement of a bio-absorbable mesh in an onlay position, at two years of follow-up.

Secondary endpoint:

  • Incidence of IH in different type of incision subgroups
  • Incidence of surgical site occurrences
  • Surgical site infection
  • Seroma
  • Evisceration (abdominal dehiscence)
  • Mesh complications
  • Incidence of general complications
  • Incidence of IH in different subset of patients undergoing immunosuppressants (steroids, mTORi)

MATERIALS & METHODS

- multicenter prospective, consecutive case series study: conventional closure technique (according to each center policy) + bio-absorbable mesh placed in an onlay position, with two-year-follow-up.

PATIENTS ENROLLMENT From the protocol start date all the transplant candidates that meet the inclusion criteria will be enrolled at time of LT by any of the surgeons who belongs to the centers involved in this trial, and an informed consent will be obtained. During the one year enrolling period we aim to include 100 consecutive patients in the study.

DURATION OF SUBJECT PARTICIPATION AND DURATION OF STUDY Subjects will be on study for 24 months. Treatment: day 0 Follow-up: 8 days, 30 days, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 months The total duration of the study is expected to be 3 years. One year for subjects recruitment and 24 months for final subjects follow-up.

SURGICAL PROCEDURES The technique used for surgical incision and for abdominal wall closure will follow each participating center policy. A slowly absorbable material will be used for closure by all centers.

After conventional closure a bio-absorbable mesh will be placed in a onlay position (PHASIX - C. R. Bard, Inc/Davol Inc, Warwick, RI). The above mentioned meshes are currently available in the participating centers.

The surgeons will be specifically trained in using a prophylactic onlay mesh. An overlapping of 3 cm must be obtained on every side of surgical incision. Fixation methods allowed: interrupted long- term absorbable suture. Subcutaneous and skin closure following center practice. The operating surgeon can decide for the placement of a subcutaneous drain if necessary.

PATIENT FOLLOW-UP An intention to treat analysis is planned. Patient follow up will be carried out in the outpatient clinic at 30 DAYS, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months by any surgeon involved in the trial.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
100

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

  • Italy
    • Lazio
      • Rome, Lazio, Italy, 00133
        • Policlinico Tor Vergata

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

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients undergoing liver transplantation in 5 centers in Italy

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Have at least 3 of the following pre transplant risk factors for IH (definition of high Risk Patients):

    • Age >60
    • Sex M
    • Obesity (HR 1.74, 1.04 to 2.91) (16) (BMI equal to or higher than 30 kg/m², according WHO definition)
    • Smoker (OR 3.93, 1.82 to 8.49) (14). An adult who has smoked at least 100 cigarettes in his or her lifetime, and who now smokes every day, according WHO definition.
    • Diabetes (OR 6.68, 2.02 to 22.0) (14) as defined by Centers of Disease Control and Prevention):

Result A1C Test Fasting Blood Sugar Test Glucose Tolerance Test Random Blood Sugar Test Diabetes 6.5% or above 126 mg/dL or above 200 mg/dL or above 200 mg/dL or above

  • IRC according KDIGO definition: "CKD is defined as abnormalities of kidney structure or function, present for >3 months, with implications for health," and requires one of two criteria documented or inferred for >3 months: either GFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 or markers of kidney damage, including albuminuria.
  • MELD > 22 (16)
  • COPD (HR 2.35, 1.44 to 3.83) (16): previous diagnosis of emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive asthma. In pulmonary function testing, a postbronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio of <0.70 is commonly considered diagnostic for COPD according The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) system.
  • Moderate/Large ascites at time of transplant. The International Ascites Club classifies the severity classification of ascites as follows: moderate ascites (grade 2): moderate abdominal distention, large ascites (grade 3): marked abdominal distention.
  • Sarcopenia (if diagnosed with CT-scan or RM). The study of the muscular compartment at the level of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) by CT is the gold standard technique in the assessment of sarcopenia. (10) The sum of the areas of psoas, erector spinae, multifidus, quadratus lomborum, rectus of the abdomen, transverse and internal and external obliques are divided by the squared height of the patient and define the skeletal muscle index: SMI (Skeletal Muscle Index) = SMA (Skeletal Muscle Area) (cm²) / height (m²). Sarcopenia is defined by cut-off values below 41,6 cm²/m² for men and 32 cm²/m² for women.

Exclusion Criteria:

- retransplant, previous upper quadrants laparotomies, previous incisional hernia repair, umbilical hernia > 2cm in diameter, pre-Tx steroids treatment or immunosuppression, patient's rejection to participate.

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

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of incisional hernias after LT
Time Frame: 2 years follow up
To evaluate the incidence of incisional hernias after LT in a consecutive series of patients that meet the inclusion criteria after conventional abdominal wall closure plus placement of a bio-absorbable mesh in an onlay position, at two years of follow-up.
2 years follow up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of IH in different type of incisions, Incidence od SSO
Time Frame: 2 years follow up
  • Incidence of IH in different type of incision subgroups
  • Incidence of surgical site occurrences
  • Surgical site infection
  • Seroma
  • Evisceration (abdominal dehiscence)
  • Mesh complications
  • Incidence of general complications
  • Incidence of IH in different subset of patients undergoing immunosuppressants (steroids, mTORi)
2 years follow up

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Rome Tor Vergata

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)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 15, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 30, 2029

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 30, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 28, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 31, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 4, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 4, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 31, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • REGISTRO SPERIMENTAZIONI 284.2

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

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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