Perioperative Dexmedetomidine to Reduce Post-procedure Grief Following Second-trimester Dilation and Evacuation

Withdrawn before enrolling · Phase 2/Phase 3 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Abortion, Stillbirth, PTSD (Childbirth-Related), Grief (Traumatic Grief and Existential Grief)

In brief

People seeking second-trimester dilation and evacuation (D\&E) procedures are often facing profoundly challenging circumstances, including desired pregnancies complicated by fetal anomalies or demise, serious maternal health conditions, or changes in financial or relationship status. Although abortion regret is uncommon, the emotional burden surrounding these experiences is substantial: many patients experience significant grief and post-traumatic stress symptoms in the weeks to months following care. Perioperative interventions that decrease the body's stress response offer a promising opportunity to reduce downstream psychologic morbidity. Dexmedetomidine has been shown to reduce PTSD symptoms in other high-stress medical and surgical settings. The investigators are undertaking a randomized trial to evaluate whether perioperative administration of dexmedetomidine during second-trimester D\&E can reduce the frequency and severity of post-procedural grief, directly addressing an unmet need in patient-centered, trauma-informed abortion care.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07537894

Run by

Stanford University

People needed

0

Starts

2026-07-01

Expected to finish

2028-07-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-07-17

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: female. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• English- or Spanish-fluency
• 16-26 weeks gestation
• D\&E in the operating room

You may not qualify if…

• Unscheduled or emergent procedure
• Contraindication to dexmedetomidine per package insert
• Judgement of clinical anesthesiologist providing care

Where it is running

• Stanford Health Care — Palo Alto, California, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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