Remote Ischemic Preconditioning Prior to Vascular Surgery

Overview

The investigators have previously shown that elective vascular surgery is a high-risk operation with an anticipated risk of either death or heart attack of 15%. This study is testing whether a protocol of remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) applied 24 hours prior to the operation is safe, feasible and reduces the incidence of an adverse, perioperative cardiac complication.

The proposed investigation has a single blind, randomized design and plans to enroll 180-205 patients who are scheduled to have major, elective vascular surgery for occlusive carotid disease, expanding abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), occlusive lower extremity disease and/or critical limb ischemia at the Minneapolis VA Health Care Center. 24 hours prior to the patient's scheduled vascular operation, RIPC therapy will be applied to one of the participant's upper arms to cause forearm ischemia. Clinically collected, pre-operative troponins, creatine kinase MBs (CK-MBs), EKGs along with troponins, CK-MBs and EKGs collected on day 1, 2, 3 and day 7 (if still hospitalized) will be utilized to evaluate the occurrence of perioperative, adverse cardiac events.

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes