In-clinic Endoscopic Polypectomy for Chronic Sinusitis With Nasal Polyps (NCT02975310)
Endoscopic Polypectomy Performed In Clinic for Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Polyps: The EPIC Randomised Controlled Trial
🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)
Chronic rhinosinusitis, also called chronic sinusitis, is a very common life-long disease affecting over 5% of the Canadian population. Its symptoms, including daily facial pain and headache, an inability to breath through the nose and complete smell loss, regularly impair one's ability to work and to enjoy and participate in daily activities. The annual cost of chronic sinusitis to Canada is estimated at $1.3 billion while the government pays an estimated $860 million yearly for chronic sinusitis treatment. Chronic sinusitis with polyps, the most common type of chronic sinusitis, is usually treated with a combination of medications and surgery. Until now, surgical treatment has only been performed in the operating room, at a cost of about $3500 per procedure. But, recent studies have shown that a new procedure, "in-clinic polyp removal", can provide an improvement in patient symptoms to levels equal to those for sinus surgery performed in a hospital operating room. Moreover, in clinic polyp removal has additional advantages including a shorter procedure recovery time, a significantly lower cost to the health care system (about one-tenth the cost or $450), and a shorter wait time for treatment. With the proposed pragmatic trial, the investigators will determine whether the in clinic polyp removal procedure is as good as sinus surgery in the operating room at controlling patient symptoms of chronic sinusitis. The investigators will also determine the cost and health-benefits for a patient, the healthcare system and for society of in clinic polyp removal in comparison to sinus surgery done in a hospital operating room. The investigators will then know if this new treatment, in clinic polyp removal, can replace sinus surgery as the standard of care for these patients.
Who can join: Review the eligibility criteria below.
Location: Vancouver General Hospital — Vancouver, British Columbia
Age range: 18 Years
🧪 Interventions in This Study
- Endoscopic polypectomy in clinic (EPIC) (PROCEDURE)
- Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (ESS) (PROCEDURE)
- General Anesthesia (OTHER)
- Local and topical anesthesia (OTHER)
📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener
Instant ChecklistFull eligibility criteria are available on the official NIH protocol. View the criteria ↗
📍 All Participating Trial Locations (4 Sites)
- Vancouver General Hospital — Vancouver, British Columbia
- St. Joseph's Hospital London — London, Ontario
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute — Ottawa, Ontario
- McGill University Health Center — Montreal, Quebec
💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights
- 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
- Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
- Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.
More studies in Sinusitis
- Pilot Study of The EPIC Trial — Barrie, Ontario
Explore by condition: All Sinusitis clinical trials
💡 How to Participate
- Check the checklist above to see if you may qualify.
- Review the official NIH record below to find the coordinating site.
- Ask about the visit schedule, what is covered at no cost, and any travel support.
- Confirm with your own doctor before making a decision.