Venous congestion and microcirculation after elective cardiac surgery
Official title: Association of Microcirculation, Vexus Score and Femoral Vein Doppler in Patients on the ICU After Non-emergency Cardiac Surgery
Run by University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland · NCT07052461 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will try to see if bedside ultrasound signs of venous congestion (VEXUS score and femoral vein Doppler) are linked with microcirculatory problems in adults during their ICU stay after elective or urgent cardiac surgery.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 40 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Basel) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | April 14, 2026 |
| Main results expected | June 2027 |
| Study ends | September 30, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | August 25, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07052461 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults aged 18 or older undergoing elective or urgent cardiac surgery who will require postoperative ICU care and can give informed consent, without severe CKD, organ transplants, pregnancy, or conditions that prevent Doppler imaging.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients undergoing emergency cardiac surgery, people with severe chronic kidney disease or on dialysis, prior renal or liver transplant recipients, pregnant women, or those with abdominal conditions that prevent Doppler imaging are excluded and unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This observational cohort will follow adults who have elective or urgent cardiac surgery during their postoperative ICU stay to explore links between venous congestion and microcirculatory function. Investigators will use bedside ultrasound measures — including the VEXUS score and femoral vein Doppler — alongside bedside microcirculatory assessments to compare sonographic signs of venous congestion with microvascular perfusion. Patients with severe chronic kidney disease, transplants, pregnancy, emergency surgery, or conditions preventing Doppler imaging will be excluded. Data will be collected during the immediate postoperative ICU period to determine whether sonographic congestion correlates with impaired microcirculation and clinical outcomes such as acute kidney injury.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If the link is confirmed, these non-invasive ultrasound signs could help clinicians recognize patients at risk of microcirculatory impairment and organ dysfunction, supporting more tailored fluid and hemodynamic management.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has linked venous congestion and elevated CVP to worse renal outcomes and small studies have used VEXUS and femoral vein Doppler, but direct evidence tying these sonographic signs to microcirculatory impairment is limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 18 years * Elective or urgent (need for definitive procedure during hospitalisation, but not emergency intervention) cardiac surgery Exclusion Criteria: * Age \< 18 years * Pregnant women * Known severe chronic kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate \<15 mL/min per 1.73 m2 or dialysis) * Renal or liver transplantation * Any known condition interfering with Doppler evaluation of the portal system (including known or suspected cirrhosis or portal vein thrombosis or huge abdominal emphysema). * Inability to consent to study * Emergency cardiac surgery
Where it's running
-
University Hospital Basel
Basel, Switzerland Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Gregor Loosen,, MD
- Email: gregormichael.loosen@usb.ch
- Phone: +41 61 328 40 90
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.