Cardiac Surgery

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of the music intervention in preventing postoperative delirium (POD) in older patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. The primary question is: Among older adults undergoing elective cardiac surgery, does offering a structured perioperative music intervention in addition to standard care reduce the incidence of POD within the first five postoperative days compared with standard care alone? The secondary questions are: Does perioperative music intervention reduce preoperative anxiety (PA) among older patients undergoing cardiac surgery, and does the level of PA moderate the effect of the music intervention on POD? Researchers will compare music intervention to routine care to see if music intervention can reduce PA and prevent POD. Participants will listen to music before and after surgery, be assessed for PA and POD, and participate in an interview about participants' perspectives on the music intervention.

The Auto-PLTS Study is a single-centre trial performed at Toronto General Hospital (TGH) that uses a randomized, patient preference design. The recent introduction of cold-stored platelets with a shelf-life of 14 days into clinical practice has made it possible to offer autologous apheresis platelet predonation to patients undergoing elective cardiac (and other high-blood-loss) surgeries while allowing sufficient time to recover platelet count before surgery. The Auto-PLTS Study is designed to assess whether replacing allogeneic platelets with autologous platelets will improve patient outcomes and benefit the healthcare system by reducing the burden on allogeneic platelet supply. The study is also designed to determine whether patients are willing to donate autologous platelets 7-10 days prior to surgery.

The study aims to evaluate a prehabilitation protocol for patients undergoing cardiac and abdominal surgery. The project for a preparation program for cardiac surgery was developed within the framework of ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery), which aims to ensure optimal recovery after surgery and a Surgery), which aims to ensure optimal recovery after surgery and an early and safe return to daily activities. The study focuses on the preoperative phase, with the introduction of the concept of prehabilitation, i.e., a program to enhance the functional abilities of individuals in preparation for major surgery. The study focuses on the preoperative phase, introducing the concept of prehabilitation, i.e., a program to enhance the functional abilities of individuals in preparation for major surgery, such as cardiac surgery, on an elective basis. This program, which currently represents best clinical practice, lasts four weeks and addresses several areas: strengthening respiratory and muscular functions, optimizing nutrition, and cognitive stimulation. Patients will be assessed at enrollment and up to 180 days post-surgery to evaluate their clinical status compared to pre-surgery on these four aspects mentioned above.

Around 8-12 in every 1000 babies are born with an abnormal heart, known as a congenital heart defect (CHD). Thanks to major advances in medical and surgical care, most babies born with CHD now live into adulthood. As people with CHD get older, many need repeated heart operations. It is known from other areas of medicine that "prehabilitation" - a short, structured exercise programme completed before surgery - can improve fitness and help patients cope better with major operations. However, this approach has never been tested in adults with CHD. The investigators are running a randomised controlled trial to find out whether a prehabilitation programme can improve physical fitness before heart surgery in adults with CHD. Participants will be randomly assigned to usual care or a prehabilitation group. Those in the prehabilitation group will follow a tailored, supervised exercise plan for several weeks before surgery. All patients undergoing cardiac surgery routinely complete a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) as part of their standard pre-operative assessment. CPET is a well-established test that shows how the heart and lungs respond to increasing levels of exercise. During the test, participants exercise on a bike while their breathing, heart rate, and overall physiological response are continuously monitored. The results of each participant's routine CPET will be used to guide the individualised exercise programme in the intervention group. Exercise levels prescribed in the study will not exceed the intensity already safely achieved during the routine CPET, ensuring that activity remains within clinically assessed limits. Participants in the trial will complete an additional second CPET following the trial period. The key question is whether a tailored exercise programme can improve fitness in adults with CHD before heart surgery, and whether this approach is feasible, acceptable and practical to deliver, including successful recruitment and measurable physiological improvements.

We are studying whether waking patients up and removing the breathing tube (also known as "extubation") in the operating room after cardiac surgery improves postoperative recovery without causing harm.

This prospective observational study aims to evaluate whether intraoperative venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure difference (PCO₂ gap) and arterial lactate levels can serve as early predictors of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in elderly patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Intraoperative measurements of PCO₂ gap and lactate will be correlated with perioperative cognitive outcomes assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and postoperative delirium screening using the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU).

The investigators will perform a phase 2a, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in adult patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery to investigate the effects of oral nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) administration on myocardial NAD+ concentrations and on postoperative markers of myocardial and kidney injury.

Cardiac surgery is at high risk of intraoperative bleeding. Inhibitors of the P2Y12 platelet receptor, such as ticagrelor, are recommended in patients with acute coronary stroke (ACS) to reduce the incidence of major cardiovascular events. Nevertheless, some patients may require coronary artery bypass graft under cardiac bypass after ticagrelor administration. This administration within 48 hours prior to surgery is associated with a significant increase in bleeding and related poor outcomes, notably because platelet transfusion fails to reverse ticagrelor induced platelet dysfunction. Conversely, waiting several days to plan surgery, in the idea of clearing blood from ticagrelor, exposes to a risk of ischemic recurrence. Another situation where ticagrelor administration may impend prognosis is emergent aortic surgeries, including aortic dissection or aneurysm rupture. Ticagrelor is frequently administrated because symptoms can mimic ACS, but it may increase bleeding and transfusion by at least 50%. Several case reports and cohorts described blood hemadsorption, using the Cytosorb® blood purification system (Cytosorb®ents, USA) as a reversal therapy for ticagrelor, reducing bleeding. Cytosorb® is a polymeric beads system with a large exchange surface, enabling the adsorption and removal of molecules of intermediate sizes (\< 60 kDa). It has been described to reduce the plasma levels of ticagrelor, with a removal up to 75% after 60 min. It can be connected directly to the heart-lung machine. Its use during cardiac bypass is simple and has not described to induce additional hemolysis. We hypothesize that the use of Cytosorb® hemoadsorption during cardiac bypass would reduce the incidence of moderate to massive bleeding in patients receiving ticagrelor within 48 hours prior to surgery.

Perioperative bleeding requiring blood transfusion is common during cardiovascular surgery, especially in procedures requiring cardiopulmonary bypass. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) plays a fundamental role in platelet function. Several studies have shown that some patients not receiving antiplatelet therapy undergoing cardiovascular surgery have decreased platelet ADP receptor activity; the prevalence of this condition can be as high as 36%. Furthermore, extracorporeal circulation itself has been shown to cause a reduction in platelet function. Platelet dysfunction due to reduced platelet receptor activity after cardiac surgery is potentially a common cause of bleeding, perioperative blood transfusion, and surgical reexploration in patients not receiving antiplatelet agents. However, these studies are conducted with few patients and present some contradictory results, so the evidence is still scarce. The study hypothesis is that preoperative platelet dysfunction for ADP measured by TEG® Platelet Mapping™ is associated with a higher incidence of moderate-severe bleeding after CPB in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery.

The FIRST study is a monocentric observational pilot study investigating the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) in cardiovascular complications associated with obesity. EVs isolated from epicardial and subcutaneous adipose tissues obtained during cardiac surgery in adults and children will be analyzed for their molecular composition and biological activity. The study will evaluate their effects on inflammation and adipocyte beiging pathways in hMADS cells and monocyte-derived macrophages, and explore associations between EV characteristics and coronary perivascular inflammation assessed by CT imaging. Findings may improve understanding of the immunometabolic mechanisms linking EAT to cardiovascular disease.

The proposed research is an important extension of an ongoing perioperative personalized analgesia and intravenous opioid pharmacogenetic research. This research focuses on two of the most commonly used oral opioid analgesics, oxycodone, and methadone in elderly adults undergoing cardiac surgery.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass, leading to longer hospital stays and worse outcomes. Effective preventive therapies are lacking. This randomized controlled trial investigates whether transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS)-a non-invasive ear stimulation technique-can reduce AKI after cardiac surgery. A total of 152 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass will be randomly assigned to receive either taVNS or sham stimulation. The intervention begins before surgery and continues daily through postoperative day 5. The primary outcome is the incidence of AKI within 7 days after surgery. Secondary outcomes include AKI severity, need for dialysis, kidney function recovery, complications, and inflammatory biomarkers. This study is approved by the institutional ethics committee. All participants will provide written informed consent.

This prospective observational study evaluates the real-time urine output response to fluid therapy and diuretics in cardiothoracic intensive care unit (CTICU) patients monitored with the FIZE kUO® device. The study aims to assess how continuous urine output monitoring can inform fluid management and improve patient outcomes post-cardiac surgery.

Conventional right ventricular pacing has been associated with ventricular dyssynchrony and an increased risk of pacing-induced cardiomyopathy, which may lead to worse clinical outcomes. To lessen the burden of pacing-induced cardiomyopathy, the adoption of conduction system pacing has increased in recent years. In patients with normal cardiac function, measured as left ventricular ejection fraction, the superiority of conduction system pacing is less clear. As a result, both pacing strategies remain in widespread clinical use. Patients undergoing cardiac surgery represent a vulnerable cohort for pacing-induced cardiomyopathy, given their established structural heart disease, and postoperative atrioventricular block remains a common occurrence in these patients. This multicenter randomized trial aims to evaluate the use of conduction system pacing, in the form of left bundle branch area pacing, versus conventional pacing in patients with normal left ventricular ejection fraction after cardiac surgery.

This prospective, randomized, controlled study aims to evaluate the effects of ultrasound-guided bilateral single-shot serratus posterior superior intercostal plane (SPSIP) block on postoperative recovery and pain management in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. A total of 50 adult patients will be randomized into two groups: an SPSIP block group and a control group. The investigators will assess postoperative pain, opioid consumption, and quality of recovery during the postoperative period.

This multicentre, randomized, assessor-blinded, non-inferiority trial will compare the analgesic efficacy of bilateral superficial parasternal intercostal plane (SPIP) block with bilateral erector spinae plane (ESP) block in adults undergoing first-time on-pump cardiac surgery through median sternotomy. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either SPIP or ESP block before induction of general anesthesia, in addition to standardized perioperative multimodal analgesia. The primary outcome is cumulative intravenous morphine milligram equivalent (IV-MME) consumption from extubation to 24 hours after extubation. The study will evaluate whether SPIP block is non-inferior to ESP block using a prespecified non-inferiority margin of 3 mg IV-MME.

This study will establish the feasibility and preliminary validity of real-time oxygen delivery index (DO₂i) monitoring using noninvasive hemoglobin (SpHb, Masimo) and minimally invasive cardiac output (FloTrac, Edwards) in cardiac surgery patients.

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effect of acupressure on respiratory performance and pain levels in adult patients who have undergone open-heart surgery. Pulmonary complications and severe pain are common after cardiac surgery, often limiting the effectiveness of standard deep breathing exercises such as incentive spirometry. This study investigates whether applying acupressure-a non-invasive complementary therapy-can help manage postoperative pain and improve respiratory capacity. By potentially reducing pain without the respiratory side effects associated with pharmacological medications, acupressure may enable patients to perform their breathing exercises more effectively and support their overall recovery.

SGLT-2 inhibitors are recommended treatments for managing heart failure patients. In cases of surgery, it is recommended to stop the treatment 3 days before surgery due to the risk of postoperative euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis. However, several data suggest that it may be beneficial to maintain SGLT-2i treatment given the possibility of improving postoperative cardiovascular outcomes. Investigator team wish to conduct a randomized controlled trial to test the hypothesis that preoperative maintenance of SGLT-2i is superior to discontinuing them 3 days before surgery in improving postoperative cardiovascular outcomes.

Prospective, observational, non-randomized study that evaluates the impact of the admission day (J-1 vs J-0) on preoperative anxiety in cardiac surgery patients.

This trial aims to compare two intraoperative fluids, namely hydroxyethyl starch (HES) and balanced crystalloids in terms of major adverse kidney events after cardiac surgery. Indications for the study fluids administarion include preload augmentation and intravascular volume replacement during cardiac surgery.

Surgical stress and preoperative fasting can induce insulin resistance, characterized by impaired cellular response to insulin and resulting hyperglycemia. In pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery, this metabolic stress response may negatively affect postoperative recovery. Although preoperative oral carbohydrate loading, defined as administering a carbohydrate-rich beverage before surgery rather than prolonged fasting, has demonstrated efficacy in reducing postoperative insulin resistance in adults, evidence supporting its use in pediatric cardiac surgery remains limited. This randomized controlled trial aims to determine whether preoperative oral carbohydrate loading reduces perioperative insulin resistance, as measured by the Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), in pediatric patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The study will compare outcomes between children who receive an oral carbohydrate beverage prior to surgery and those who follow standard preoperative fasting protocols.

Acute kidney injury affects more than 30% of patients after cardiac surgery, and is associated with an excess in mortality. There is a clinical continuum between acute kidney injury (transient if \<48h, persistent if \>48h), the development of acute kidney and chronic renal failure. Each of these entities characterising renal recovery is associated with an increase in long-term morbidity and mortality. Fluid management in patients with acute kidney injury is challenging, as both hypovolaemia and hypervolaemia are detrimental. Venous congestion (reflecting intravascular hypervolaemia), is a well-established haemodynamic factor contributing to acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery. An ultrasound score, based on the venous doppler pattern explored in intra-abdominal organs, has recently been developed and is a better predictor of acute kidney injury than central venous pressure. Whether using the VeXUS score to guide fluid removal in haemodynamically stabilised patients could promote renal recovery after acute kidney injury remains to be investigated. Before designing a large randomised trial to test such a strategy, its feasibility in a pilot randomised trial is assessed.

Cardiovascular diseases continue to be the leading cause of death worldwide. Among them, coronary artery disease has the greatest impact, being characterized as one of the main causes of death in Brazil over the last decade. One of the well-established treatments is coronary artery bypass grafting, which is the most performed among cardiac surgeries and, in our scenario, is primarily funded by the Unified Health System (SUS). The information obtained from the Paulista Registry of Cardiovascular Surgeries (REPLICCAR), in partnership with FAPESP, has been important for implementing improvements in the landscape of cardiac surgeries in the state of São Paulo. Although outcomes in cardiac surgery have improved due to the structuring and organization of quality programs, this is still not a reality at the national level. In a situation where data collection and quality initiatives play a central role in continuous improvement, generating value becomes essential for the sustainability of cardiac surgery programs. In this sense, the concept of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) has gained increasing traction. This concept is based on multidisciplinary protocols and scientific evidence, which help prepare patients for rapid recovery, resulting in reduced complications, shorter hospital stays, and, primarily, lower hospital costs. On the other hand, the increase in surgical waiting lists has also led to a rise in home mortality due to cardiac causes. Thus, among the various challenges imposed by the current scenario, the investigators believe that preparing patients for rapid recovery after coronary artery bypass grafting presents an opportunity for the sustainability of the healthcare system. Therefore, the aim of this project is to evaluate the impact of a technology platform based on ERAS on the postoperative recovery time of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting in reference centers in the state of São Paulo, Timely Project - REPLICCAR III.

This work aims to assess the analgesic efficacies of transversus thoracic muscle plane block (TTPB) and transversus thoracic muscle plane block (TTPB) for open cardiac surgeries