Propofol cardioplegia for Myocardial Protection Trial: ProMPT

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  A single-centre randomised controlled trial of propofol cardioplegia on blood and myocardial biomarkers of stress and injury in patients having isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or aortic valve replacement (AVR) using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB)

• IRAS ID

  10587

• Contact name

  Alan Bryan

• Sponsor organisation

  University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust

• Eudract number

  2009-015779-28

• ISRCTN Number

  N/A

• Research summary

  During cardiac surgery the heart is isolated from the rest of the circulation and a heart-lung machine is used to oxygenate the blood and pump it around the body. The heart is stopped, and provided with nutrients, by a (cardioplegic) solution that is injected directly into the heart from time-to-time. This allows the surgeon to operate on the heart while it is still, but looking after the heart in this way during the operation is not ideal. The heart muscle can become short of oxygen and, when the heart is restarted and blood starts to flow through the heart again, the muscle can be harmed. The damage is believed to be caused mainly by the formation of highly reactive molecules known as Ó?free radicals? in the heart muscle during the time it is short of oxygen. Propofol is a general anaesthetic widely used in cardiac surgery and recent research suggests that propofol could protect heart muscle against damage from free radicals. We want to investigate the benefit of adding propofol to the cardioplegic solution in patients having isolated coronary artery bypass grafting or aortic valve replacement surgery using the heart-lung machine. We will assess the benefits of adding propofol by studying a number of chemicals released by the heart and other organs in the body when they are damaged or stressed. We will measure these in blood samples taken before, during and after the operation, and in very small pieces of heart muscle obtained during the operation. If we find that adding propofol to the cardioplegic solution reduces damage to the heart and other organs, patients undergoing cardiac surgery may have a faster recovery with fewer post-operative complications. This should also lead to reductions in the costs of cardiac surgery. Participant involvement in the trial ends 3-months after their operation.

• REC name

  West Midlands - Edgbaston Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  09/H1208/60

• Date of REC Opinion

  16 Nov 2009

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion