Factors Responsible for the Effectiveness of the Lund De-airing Technique

This study is currently recruiting participants.
Verified December 2012 by Lund University
Sponsor:
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Bansi Lal Koul, Lund University
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT01757704
First received: September 22, 2012
Last updated: December 21, 2012
Last verified: December 2012
  Purpose

The Lund de-airing technique is employed for cardiac de-airing after open left heart surgery. It consists of two main elements namely, opening of both pleura after the patient is on CPB (cardiopulmonary bypass)and disconnection of the ventilator before opening the left heart to ensure bilateral pulmonary collapse and a staged filling of the heart at termination of the CPB. The aim of this study is to analyze in a randomized manner two groups of patients to establish if one or both components are of primary importance for the effectiveness of the de-airing technique.


Condition Intervention
Complication of Surgical Procedure
Procedure: Open pleura & regular ventilation
Procedure: Intact pleura & staged ventilation

Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Allocation: Randomized
Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single Blind (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Official Title: Factors Responsible for the Effectiveness of the Lund Technique for De-airing Following Open Left Heart Surgery.

Resource links provided by NLM:


Further study details as provided by Lund University:

Primary Outcome Measures:
  • Quantitative assessment of air embolism to the brain after completion of open left heart surgery [ Time Frame: During and 10 minutes after de-airing has been completed ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
    In patients undergoing open left heart surgery, brain emboli will be assessed quantitatively by intraoperative trans-esophageal echocardiography and trans-cranial ultrasonography during de-airing and 10 minutes after completion of the de-airing.


Secondary Outcome Measures:
  • To estimate the time it requires to de-air the heart completely. [ Time Frame: From release of aortic clamp to end of deairing ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
    Completion of cardiac de-airing will be dictated by intraoperative trans-esophageal echocardiography and as defined by absence of air emboli in the left atrium, left ventricle and aorta over a period of one minute after completion of cardio-pulmonary bypass and with patient fully ventilated.


Other Outcome Measures:
  • Post-operative time on ventilator [ Time Frame: Intensive Care stay ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
    Postoperative time on ventilator may reflect indirectly the efficacy of intraoperative de-airing


Estimated Enrollment: 20
Study Start Date: September 2012
Estimated Study Completion Date: December 2013
Estimated Primary Completion Date: September 2013 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Arms Assigned Interventions
Experimental: Open pleura & regular ventilation
In this group both pleurae will be opened and the ventilator disconnected during cardiopulmonary bypass to ensure bilateral pulmonary collapse. However, after completion of the left heart procedure, the heart will be filled with blood actively from the heart-lung machine and manual de-airing performed in a conventional manner and de-airing monitored by intraoperative trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE). After de-airing is complete and patient has been weaned off the CPB the residual air in the left heart will be quantitatively assessed by TEE and trans-cranial ultrasonography over a period of 10 minutes.
Procedure: Open pleura & regular ventilation
After completion of the left heart surgery, the heart will be actively filled from CPB and lung fully ventilated with positive end-expiratory pressure to flush all air trapped in the left heart. Thereafter heart will be reperfused by the CPB.
Other Names:
  • Cardiac de-airing
  • Cardiac venting
Experimental: Intact pleura & staged ventilation
In this group both pleurae will be left intact and the ventilator disconnected during cardiopulmonary bypass. After completion of the left heart procedure, the heart will be filled with blood actively from the heart-lung machine in a staged manner after adequate cardiac contraction has been established. De-airing will be obtained by active cardiac contraction and staged mechanical ventilation and de-airing monitored by intraoperative trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE). After de-airing is deemed complete and patient has been weaned off the CPB the residual air in the left heart will be quantitatively assessed by TEE and trans-cranial ultrasonography over a period of 10 minutes.
Procedure: Intact pleura & staged ventilation
After the end of the left heart surgery,gradual filling of the heart from heart-lung machine and spontaneous cardiac contractions fill the lungs with blood till no more air is seen in left heart on TEE. Thereafter the lungs are ventilated 50% and 5 cm PEEP and cardiac filling and de-airing continued. If no air is seen in left heart full ventilation is started and cardiac filling continued and patient weaned from CPB
Other Names:
  • Cardiac de-airing
  • Cardiac venting

Detailed Description:

Patients planned for open left heart surgery, mainly aortic valve replacement, will be included in the study. Patients with aortic valve replacement and concomitant coronary artery bypass with vein grafts only can also be included.

Exclusion criteria are; significant COPD/emphysema, significant (>50%)carotid artery disease, need of concomitant internal mammary harvesting, prior cardiac or pulmonary surgery, pulmonary adhesions preventing pulmonary collapse, previous radiation to the chest and prior severe chest trauma.

Twenty patients will be randomized to two groups:

Group I: Intact pleura bilaterally, disconnection of the ventilator during CPB, followed by staged filling of the heart.

Group II: Open pleura bilaterally, disconnection of the ventilator during CPB to ensure bilateral pulmonary collapse followed by conventional filling of the heart.

Data will be compared to a third historical control group, consisting of ten patients with open pleura bilaterally with ventilator disconnected followed by staged filling of the heart.

Main outcomes: Residual air emboli from the left heart will be qualitatively monitored grossly by transesophageal echocardiography. Microembolic signals as monitored by transcranial Doppler sonography of the middle cerebral arteries will quantitatively assess the number of emboli to the brain.

  Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:   18 Years to 90 Years
Genders Eligible for Study:   Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   No
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients planned for aortic valve replacement with or without coronary vein bypass grafts

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Significant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and emphysema
  • Previous history of thoracic or cardiac surgery
  • Patients requiring internal mammary artery harvesting
  • Unilateral or bilateral pulmonary adhesions to chest wall
  • Previous radiation to the chest
  Contacts and Locations
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01757704

Contacts
Contact: Bansi Koul, MD, PhD bansi.koul@skane.se
Contact: Maya Landenhed, MD maya.landenhed@med.lu.se

Locations
Sweden
Lund University Recruiting
Lund, Skåne, Sweden, 22350
Contact: Bansi Koul, MD, PhD         bansi.koul@skane.se    
Contact: Maya Landenhed, MD         maya.landenhed@med.lu.se    
Principal Investigator: Bansi Koul, MD, PhD            
Sponsors and Collaborators
Lund University
Investigators
Principal Investigator: Bansi Koul, MD, PhD Cardiothoracic Surgery, Skåne University Hospital Lund, Sweden
  More Information

Publications:
Responsible Party: Bansi Lal Koul, Med dr. Ph. D., Lund University
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01757704     History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers: BKML-003
Study First Received: September 22, 2012
Last Updated: December 21, 2012
Health Authority: Sweden: Medical Products Agency
Sweden: Regional Ethical Review Board
Sweden: Swedish Data Inspection Board
Sweden: Swedish National Council on Medical Ethics
Sweden: Swedish Research Council

Keywords provided by Lund University:
Cardiac de-airing
Air emboli
Transcranial Doppler
Intraoperative echocardiography

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on May 23, 2013