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Opioid-free Anesthesia for Open Cardiac Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Opioid-free Anesthesia for Open Cardiac Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04197570
Enrollment
9
Registered
2019-12-13
Start date
2020-02-04
Completion date
2020-03-14
Last updated
2020-07-28

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Opioid Use, Heart; Surgery, Heart, Functional Disturbance as Result, Anesthesia

Keywords

Opioid Free Anesthesia, Cardiac Surgery, Non-opioid Anesthesia, Dexmedetomidine, Hemodynamic, Opioid, Fentanyl, Cardiac Anesthesia, Cardiopulmonary Bypass, post sternotomy pain

Brief summary

This study will compare an opioid free anesthetic, using dexmedetomidine, to a traditional opioid based anesthetic, using fentanyl, for patients undergoing cardiac surgery with regards to hemodynamic stability in the first 10 minutes after induction.

Detailed description

This is a single center, blinded, prospective, randomized controlled trial. A total of 158 subjects (79 subjects in each arm) are planned. The control group will receive a traditional cardiac anesthetic using opioids, for which induction will include fentanyl and propofol. The experimental arm will receive an opioid free anesthetic with an induction bolus of dexmedetomidine and propofol. The investigators hypothesize that using the opioid free technique will be more hemodynamically stable within the first 10 minutes of induction.

Interventions

see arm/group description

see arm/group description

Sponsors

Virginia Mason Hospital/Medical Center
CollaboratorOTHER
Benaroya Research Institute
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Intervention model description

The investigators plan to enroll 158 subjects at Virginia Mason Medical Center that are undergoing open cardiac surgery. Subjects who volunteer to be involved in the study will be randomized to either the opioid free or traditional anesthetic arm. Subjects will be blinded to the assigned arm.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Male or female ≥ 18 years of age at the time of consent. * Undergoing non-emergent open cardiac procedures requiring cardiopulmonary bypass support, including: CABG, aortic aneurysm repair, valve repair/replacement, or CABG in combination with valve repair/replacement. * Ability and willingness to provide written informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

* Chronic opioid use defined as preoperative MED \>100 daily. * Hypersensitivity or contraindication to any of the study medications. * Pre-existing Alzheimer's/vascular dementia. * Pre-existing psychiatric disorder precluding ability to provide informed consent or use a visual analogue scale for pain. * Childs-Pugh Class C liver failure or acute liver failure. * Emergent open heart surgery, including type A aortic dissections, trauma, or conversion (bail out) from another procedure such as cardiac catheterization, ablation, transcatheter aortic valve replacement or any other general surgical procedure. * Pregnancy or lactating. * Inability to comply with the requirements of the study, per investigator judgment. * Patients determined to need an awake intubation.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Mean arterial blood pressure-time integral10 minutesThe primary endpoint is the area under the baseline mean arterial pressure (MAP) over the first 10 minutes after induction, called the MAP-time integral.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
ICU length of stay1-5 daysTime from arrival in ICU to time of transfer order out of ICU
Blood pressure variability pre-cardiopulmonary bypass2 hourshighest and lowest blood pressure from induction to start of bypass
Heart rate variability pre-cardiopulmonary bypass2 hourshighest and lowest heart rate from induction to start of bypass
Vasopressor usage intra- and post-operatively18 hoursNumber of vasopressors and doses from induction to start of cardiopulmonary bypass, leaving operating room and 12 hours postop
Arrhythmias or EKG changes14 daysIntraoperative EKG changes or evidence of echocardiographic ischemia prior to heparin. Antiarrhythmic medications given intraoperative or in first 24 hours postop. New permanent pacemaker placed during hospital admission.
Delirium medications24 hoursDelirium medications administered 24 hours after ICU admission
Delirium24 hoursCAM-ICU scores at 12 hours and 24 hours after ICU admission
Time to extubation1-36 hoursTime from arrival in ICU to extubation
Opioid consumption24 hoursTotal opioid utilization 24hours postoperatively (morphine equivalent dose)
Postoperative nausea/vomiting24 hoursNumber of antiemetic doses administered
Hospital length of stay3-14 daysTime begins day of surgery to day of discharge. Time in days
Reintubation or readmission to ICU0-14 daysAfter being extubated or being transferred out of ICU
major adverse cardiovascular event or mortality30 daysMajor adverse cardiovascular event (eg., myocardial ischemia, stroke) or death
Postoperative pain questionnaire6 months30 day, 3 month and 6 month pain questionnaire as well as post-sternotomy opioid use (as determined by reviewing Washington PMP data). Numerical Rating Scale Pain Scores (Range: 0-10, where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain)
Postoperative pain scores24 hoursNumerical Rating Scale Pain Scores (Range: 0-10, where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain)

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026