Trial Outcomes & Findings for Left Lateral Position Versus Supine Position in Colonoscopy (NCT NCT06664762)

Results Overview

Time since insertion to cecal intubation despite the position for colonoscopy

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

NA

Target enrollment

144 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

4-10 minutes, which is approximately 240-600 seconds

Results posted on

2026-04-29

Participant Flow

Patients were recruited from two centers in Mexico: Hospital Civil "Fray Antonio Alcalde" (40 pts) and Hospital General Regional No. 220 (104 pts), between Aug 2024-Jul 2025. Eligible patients scheduled for colonoscopy were informed of the study, consented, and randomized. Recruitment was completed as planned.

150 patients were screened. Six did not meet eligibility criteria or declined participation. A total of 144 provided informed consent and were randomized 1:1 to start colonoscopy in left lateral decubitus or supine position.

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure	Left Lateral Position During Colonoscopy Participants randomized to this arm underwent colonoscopy starting in the left lateral decubitus (LLD) position, which is traditionally considered the standard initial position for the procedure. After informed consent, patients were positioned in LLD and the colonoscopy was initiated by experienced endoscopists using standard colonoscopes under routine clinical practice conditions. The objective was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this position in terms of cecal intubation rate, time to reach the cecum, need for position changes or additional maneuvers, and polyp detection rate. If adequate visualization or advancement could not be achieved, position changes or abdominal pressure were permitted at the discretion of the endoscopist, and these adjustments were recorded. All patients received the same bowel preparation protocol and sedation standards, ensuring comparability with the supine group.	Supine Position During Colonoscopy Participants assigned to this arm underwent colonoscopy starting in the supine (SP) position. After informed consent, patients were placed supine on the examination table, and colonoscopy was initiated using standard equipment under routine clinical practice conditions. The purpose was to compare this alternative starting position with the traditional left lateral decubitus approach in terms of cecal intubation rate, time to reach the cecum, need for position changes, and polyp detection rate. The supine position has been proposed to improve visualization of the colonic mucosa and facilitate advancement of the colonoscope, particularly in the proximal colon. If insertion or visualization was suboptimal, the endoscopist could use abdominal pressure or change the patient's position as needed, with all such maneuvers documented. Patients in this arm followed the same bowel preparation, sedation, and monitoring protocols as those in the left lateral group, ensuring standardized conditions for direct comparison.
Overall Study STARTED	72	72
Overall Study COMPLETED	72	72
Overall Study NOT COMPLETED	0	0

Reasons for withdrawal

Withdrawal data not reported

Baseline Characteristics

All randomized adult patients who underwent colonoscopy (N=144) were included in the analysis of age.

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure	Left Lateral Position During Colonoscopy n=72 Participants Participants were randomized to the Left Lateral Decubitus (LLD) arm at the time of colonoscopy. Baseline characteristics collected for this group included age, sex, comorbidities, and bowel preparation quality assessed using a standardized bowel preparation scale. All baseline variables and measurements are presented in the corresponding results tables.	Supine Position During Colonoscopy n=72 Participants Participants were randomized to the Supine Position (SP) arm at the time of colonoscopy. Baseline characteristics collected for this group included age, sex, comorbidities, indications for colonoscopy, and bowel preparation quality assessed using a standardized bowel preparation scale. All baseline variables and measurements are presented in the corresponding results tables.	Total n=144 Participants Total of all reporting groups
Age, Continuous	57.08 Years STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.1236 • n=72 Participants • All randomized adult patients who underwent colonoscopy (N=144) were included in the analysis of age.	57.03 Years STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.5190 • n=72 Participants • All randomized adult patients who underwent colonoscopy (N=144) were included in the analysis of age.	57.05 Years STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.2837 • n=144 Participants • All randomized adult patients who underwent colonoscopy (N=144) were included in the analysis of age.
Sex: Female, Male Female	30 Participants n=72 Participants	38 Participants n=72 Participants	68 Participants n=144 Participants
Sex: Female, Male Male	42 Participants n=72 Participants	34 Participants n=72 Participants	76 Participants n=144 Participants
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected	—	—	0 Participants Race and Ethnicity were not collected from any participant.
Position during colonoscopy	72 Participants n=72 Participants	72 Participants n=72 Participants	144 Participants n=144 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 4-10 minutes, which is approximately 240-600 seconds

Population: A total of 144 patients were included: 72 in the supine position and 72 in the lateral decubitus position.

Time since insertion to cecal intubation despite the position for colonoscopy

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure	Left Lateral Position During Colonoscopy n=18890 Seconds Left lateral position at the begining of the procedure.	Supine Position During Colonoscopy n=16504 Seconds Supine position at the begining of the procedure
Time to Cecal Intubation.	310 Seconds Standard Deviation 332	306 Seconds Standard Deviation 305

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: During colonoscopy

Adenoma detection was defined as the identification of at least one histologically confirmed adenomatous polyp during the procedure. The percentage was calculated based on the total number of participants analyzed in each group.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure	Left Lateral Position During Colonoscopy n=72 Participants Left lateral position at the begining of the procedure.	Supine Position During Colonoscopy n=72 Participants Supine position at the begining of the procedure
Number of Participants With at Least One Adenoma Detected During Colonoscopy	22 Participants	30 Participants

Adverse Events

Left Lateral Position During Colonoscopy

Serious events: 0 serious events

Other events: 0 other events

Deaths: 0 deaths

Supine Position During Colonoscopy

Serious events: 0 serious events

Other events: 0 other events

Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Other adverse events

Adverse event data not reported

Additional Information

Roberto Ulises Cruz Neri

Hospital Civil Antiguo de Guajadalara "Fray Antonio Alcalde"

Phone: 3311946664

Email: [email protected]

Results disclosure agreements

Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
Publication restrictions are in place