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The eTHoS study (haemorrhoids treatment): either Traditional Haemorrhoidectomy or Stapled Haemorrhoidopexy for haemorrhoidal disease

A pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing stapled haemorrhoidopexy to traditional excisional surgery for haemorrhoidal disease

Status
Active, not recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ISRCTN
Registry ID
ISRCTN80061723
Enrollment
800
Registered
2010-03-08
Start date
2010-10-01
Completion date
Unknown
Last updated
2018-03-19

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Haemorrhoidal disease Circulatory System Haemorrhoids

Interventions

Participants will be randomised to either stapled haemorrhoidopexy (SH) or traditional haemorrhoidectomy (TH). The SH procedure involves excising a ring or "donut" of tissue above the haemorrhoidal cu

Sponsors

Co-sponsored by University of Aberdeen (UK) and NHS Highland
Lead Sponsor

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Current inclusion criteria as of 02/01/2011: 1. Patient with circumferential haemorrhoids grade II, III and IV 2. Patients aged 18 years or older 3. Written informed consent obtained Previous inclusion criteria: 1. Patients with haemorrhoids grade II who have failed traditional therapy (rubber band ligation [RBL]), haemorrhoids grade III and IV 2. Patients aged 18 years or older, either sex 3. Written informed consent obtained

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Current exclusion criteria as of 01/02/2011: 1. Previous surgery for haemorrhoids (traditional or stapled) (except rubber band ligation (RBL) or Haemorrhoidal Artery Ligation Operation (HALO)) 2. Pre-existing sphincter injury 3. Peri-anal sepsis 4. Inflammatory bowel disease 5. Malignant colorectal disease 6. Medically unfit for surgery or completion of the trial 7. Pregnant women Previous exclusion criteria: 1. Previous surgery for haemorrhoids (except RBL for grade II)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
The trial has both a patient-centred and an economic primary outcome: 1. Patient-centred: quality of life profile (area under the curve derived from EQ-5D measurements at baseline, 1 week, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 12 months and 24 months) 2. Economic: incremental cost per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained with QALYs based on the responses to the EQ-5D at 24 months

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Secondary outcomes include patient-reported, clinical and economic measures: Patient-reported (collected at 1, 3, 6 weeks, 1 year, 2 years and 5 years): 1. Generic health profile measured by 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) and EQ-5D 2. Visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score 3. Cleveland incontinence score 4. Haemorrhoid symptom score 5. Post-operative analgesia consumption 6. Recurrence of haemorrhoids Clinical (collected at the time of surgery and at 6-week clinical follow-up): 7. Peri- and post-operative complications including: 7.1. Haemorrhages 7.2. Requirement for blood transfusion 7.3. Anal stenosis, anal fissure 7.4. Urinary retention 7.5. Residual anal skin tags 7.6. Difficult defecation 7.7. Wound discharge 7.8. Pelvic sepsis 7.9. Pruritis Economic: Costs will be based on resource use data. 8. Costs to the NHS and patients at two years: 8.1. Time to recovery 8.2. Length of hospital stay 8.3. Use of health services for haemorrhoids related events or treatments 8.4. Patient costs (treatments], travel to health services, sick leave) 8.5. Need for alternative management for haemorrhoids (e.g., surgery, drugs) 8.6. Other use of health services: 8.6.1. Visits to GP 8.6.2. Visits to practice nurse 8.6.3. Visits to colorectal surgeon 9. Estimated lifetime cost to NHS and patient 10. QALYS estimated from the EQ-5D at 24 months 11. QALYS estimated over the patient's lifetime 12. Cost-effectiveness analysis (incremental cost per case of stapled haemorrhoidopexy and traditional haemorrhoidectomy excision avoided)

Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Mar 12, 2026