An interventional study of Atmospheric Pressure Non-Thermal Plasma and Standard Surgical Wound Care Protocol in Thyroid Diseases, Wound Healing and Thyroidectomy, sponsored by National Institute of Nuclear Research - Mexico. Recruiting at 1 site in Mexico. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-05.
Sponsored by National Institute of Nuclear Research - Mexico · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of non-thermal plasma (NTP) as an adjuvant treatment for surgical bed decontamination and accelerated tissue repair in patients undergoing total thyroidectomy. The study aims to address the following objectives:
Participants will be randomized into two arms:
Clinical follow-up will include quantitative assessment of healing rates, pain scales (VAS), and biochemical or clinical markers of inflammation at scheduled intervals (Days 1, 7, 15, and up to 12 weeks post-surgery).
This prospective study addresses the two most critical limitations of conventional thyroid surgery: collateral thermal damage to noble structures and the risk of microscopic residual disease in incidental carcinoma cases.
The investigation focuses on the application of non-thermal plasma (NTP), a state of matter that generates a controlled 'cocktail' of Reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen Species (RONS). Unlike conventional energy-based devices (laser or electrocautery), NTP operates at low temperatures, eliminating lateral thermal dispersion and carbonization, thus preserving the functional integrity of the recurrent laryngeal nerve and parathyroid glands.
The standardized NTP protocol is executed in two distinct phases:
The study aims to correlate this two-phase intervention with three primary clinical pillars: a) Absolute surgical safety (0% complication rate in nerve paralysis and hypocalcemia). b) Oncological sterilization (undetectable Thyroglobulin levels \<0.1 ng/dL at 6 months). c) High-fidelity tissue mimicry (evaluated via VSS and POSAS scales), hypothesizing that NTP-mediated redox modulation achieves superior cosmetic and functional outcomes compared to traditional photobiomodulation.
365 studies on the registry are indexed under Thyroid Diseases; 80 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 26 is below the median of 88 across 198 interventional studies indexed under Thyroid Diseases.
Browse Thyroid Diseases studies →National Institute of Nuclear Research - Mexico is the lead sponsor of 2 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
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Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.
Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Corticosteroids (steroids)
Anti-inflammatory medicines such as prednisone, prednisolone and dexamethasone — not the anabolic steroids used for muscle.
Studies differ in what they allow: check which steroid medicines, routes (tablets, injections, creams, inhalers, eye drops) and doses this study accepts.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Immunosuppression
A weakened immune system. It can come from an illness, such as HIV or some blood cancers, or from medicines that turn the immune system down, for example after an organ transplant or for an autoimmune disease; steroids at higher doses count.
Read whether the line is about a condition or about medicines, and which medicines and doses it means.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The single experimental arm consists of patients undergoing total or partial thyroidectomy who receive a standardised treatment with Non-Thermal Plasma (NTP). This group is evaluated for surgical safety (nerve preservation/hemostasis) and oncological efficacy (residual disease control).
Device: Atmospheric Pressure Non-Thermal Plasma
Participants randomized to this arm will receive the institution's current standard postoperative wound care following thyroid surgery. This includes routine surgical wound closure (sutures/staples) and standard dressing, without any application of non-thermal plasma. All other aspects of perioperative care, including pain management and follow-up visits, will follow standard institutional protocols.
Other: Standard Surgical Wound Care Protocol
Intraoperative and postoperative application of non-thermal plasma (NTP) generated via a 13.56 MHz Radiofrequency (RF) generator at 20 Watts. High-purity helium gas will be used as the precursor at a flow rate of 0.5 LPM. The plasma jet will be applied directly to the surgical bed (pre-closure) and the sutured incision (post-closure), maintaining a distance of 1-3 mm from the tissue. The dosage is standardized at 1 minute per linear centimeter of the incision.
Standard surgical wound closure using conventional suturing techniques followed by the application of sterile dressings according to institutional protocols. No plasma treatment will be administered.
Time to complete wound re-epithelialization.
The number of days required for to achieve 100% skin closure of the surgical incision. Complete re-epithelialization is clinically defined as a fully closed wound without drainage, scabbing, or the need for dressings. Assessment will be performed by a blinded evaluator. Unit of measure: Days.
Time frame: From day 0 (day of surgery) up to day 21.
Postoperative pain intensity.
Patient-reported pain levels assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), where 0 represents "no pain" and 10 represents the worst imaginable pain. Unit of measure: VAS Score (0-10).
Time frame: At 2, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 hours, and on days 7 and 14 post-surgery.
Incidence of surgical site complications.
Total number of participants experiencing at least one postoperative complication, specifically: surgical site infection (SSI), wound dehiscence, hematoma, or seroma formation, as confirmed by clinical diagnosis. Unit of measure: Number of participants.
Time frame: From surgery through 28 days post-surgery.
Long-term scar quality assessment.
Objective evaluation of the scar using the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS). The scale assesses four parameters: vascularity, pigmentation, pliability, and height. Total scores range from 0 to 13, with lower scores indicating better aesthetic and functional outcomes. Unit of measure: VSS Score (0-13).
Time frame: At 12 weeks post-surgery.
Cumulative analgesic consumption.
Total amount of rescue analgesic medication (e.g., paracetamol or NSAIDs) required by the patient during the immediate postoperative period. This measure reflects the indirect impact of NTP on pain management. Unit of measure: Milligrams (mg) of medication.
Time frame: First 48 hours post-surgery.
Plan to share: No
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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National Institute of Nuclear Research - Mexico