Chronic Venous Thrombosis: Relief With Adjunctive Catheter-Directed Therapy (The C-TRACT Trial)

NCT ID: NCT03250247

Last Updated: 2025-11-14

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

250 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2018-07-02

Study Completion Date

2026-04-27

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The purpose of this study is to determine if the use of image-guided, endovascular therapy (EVT) is an effective strategy with which to reduce Post Thrombotic Syndrome (PTS) disease severity and improve quality of life in patients with established disabling iliac-obstructive post thrombotic syndrome (DIO-PTS).

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

The rationale for performing the C-TRACT Trial is based upon:

1. the debilitating life impact of DIO-PTS upon patients, as cited in the U.S. Surgeon General's 2008 Call to Action on DVT (95);
2. the inability of existing therapies to prevent or alleviate most cases of DIO-PTS;
3. the role of iliac vein obstruction and saphenous reflux in causing the severe manifestations of DIO-PTS;
4. the ability of stent placement and endovenous ablation to eliminate obstruction and reflux, respectively, to reduce PTS severity, and to improve QOL in preliminary studies;
5. the risks, costs, and uncertainties of this novel but invasive strategy;
6. the lack of consensus on whether EVT should be used for DIO-PTS;
7. the motivation of our established investigator team to answer this critical clinical question.

We will determine if EVT should be routinely used to treat DIO-PTS. If so, this finding will fundamentally change DIO-PTS practice towards more frequent use of EVT. If EVT proves ineffective or unsafe, this finding will reduce or eliminate the use of potentially risky and expensive procedures.

250 subjects with established DIO-PTS will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either EVT or No-EVT treatment groups. All participants will receive standard PTS therapy. Subjects will be enrolled over approximately 36 months in 20-40 U.S. Participants enrolled in C-TRACT protocol versions prior to 5.0 will be followed for 24 months. Subjects enrolled on protocol version 5.0 or after will be followed for 6 months. The study will take approximately 6 years to complete.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Deep Vein Thrombosis Venous Stasis Venous Insufficiency Venous Leg Ulcer Venous Reflux Post Thrombotic Syndrome

Keywords

Explore important study keywords that can help with search, categorization, and topic discovery.

deep vein thrombosis superficial venous reflux blood clot post thrombotic syndrome iliac vein obstruction

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

This is an NIH-funded, Phase III, multicenter, randomized, open-label, assessor-blinded, parallel two-arm, controlled clinical trial.
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors
Blinded Clinical assessments for PTS will be obtained at baseline (pre-randomization) and at the 6- month follow-up visits. Examining clinicians will complete PTS training to ensure accuracy across all Clinical Centers. The examiners for PTS must be blinded to the subjects' treatment allocation. Subjects will be reminded not reveal to clinic staff which therapy they received (EVT or No-EVT). Subjects should be examined in the afternoon (the later the better) to allow the symptoms and signs of PTS to manifest. The assessment is performed as follows:

1. The subject should be asked to rate the 5 symptoms on the Villalta PTS scale for each leg, record his/her ratings on the CRF.
2. The subject's legs should be unclothed and he/she should be seated facing the blinded clinician (nurse or physician).The 5 signs of PTS and VCSS measures will be recorded by the blinded clinician. Leg ulcers (if present) will be assessed and measured.

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Endovascular Therapy - Intervention

All subjects (EVT and No-EVT Arms) will receive optimal PTS care. At each Clinical Center, this will be supervised by a physician experienced in managing PTS.

Subjects randomized to EVT will receive the following:

1. imaging-guided iliac vein stent placement, and
2. endovenous ablation of refluxing saphenous vein(s), if the patient has truncal reflux and is still symptomatic.
3. optimal PTS therapy: medical and compression, lifestyle interventions and venous ulcer care

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Stents

Intervention Type DEVICE

US-guided puncture of vein, fluoroscopic monitoring of catheter/guidewire manipulations, baseline venogram of CFV through infrarenal IVC.

Iliac vein should be pre-dilated to at least 12 mm. Bare, self-expanding stents made of elgiloy or nitinol legally marketed in the US for any indication and that are at least 12 mm in diameter should be used to recanalize the entire diseased segment of vein.

The use of devices \> 14 mm is highly recommended for the iliac vein and dilated to at least 14 mm, unless compelling patient factors dictates dilatation to a smaller diameter.

Balloon angioplasty of inflow veins.

After successful iliac vein recanalization, patients who continue to be symptomatic beyond 2 weeks follow-up and who have valvular reflux in GSV, accessory GSV, anterolateral thigh circumflex, and/or SSV should be offered endovenous ablation.

Any FDA-approved method may be used including radiofrequency or laser ablation, sclerotherapy or pharmacomechanical ablation.

Non-Endovascular Therapy - Control

All subjects will receive optimal PTS care as noted above.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Stents

US-guided puncture of vein, fluoroscopic monitoring of catheter/guidewire manipulations, baseline venogram of CFV through infrarenal IVC.

Iliac vein should be pre-dilated to at least 12 mm. Bare, self-expanding stents made of elgiloy or nitinol legally marketed in the US for any indication and that are at least 12 mm in diameter should be used to recanalize the entire diseased segment of vein.

The use of devices \> 14 mm is highly recommended for the iliac vein and dilated to at least 14 mm, unless compelling patient factors dictates dilatation to a smaller diameter.

Balloon angioplasty of inflow veins.

After successful iliac vein recanalization, patients who continue to be symptomatic beyond 2 weeks follow-up and who have valvular reflux in GSV, accessory GSV, anterolateral thigh circumflex, and/or SSV should be offered endovenous ablation.

Any FDA-approved method may be used including radiofrequency or laser ablation, sclerotherapy or pharmacomechanical ablation.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Disabling (moderate-to-severe) PTS, defined by a) presence of chronic venous disease \> or = 3 months duration in a leg with history of DVT, as determined by the site principal investigator or a physician co-investigator; and b) substantial limitation of daily activities or work capacity due to venous symptoms or an open venous ulcer, per the same investigator.
2. Ipsilateral iliac vein obstruction documented within 12 months prior to screening by either:

1. Occlusion or \>50% or = 50% stenosis of the iliac vein on venogram, CT venogram, MR venogram, or intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) or
2. Air plethysmography showing deep venous obstruction of the ipsilateral leg (reduced venous outflow fraction), and ultrasound showing echogenic material in the ipsilateral iliac vein and non-phasic continuous Doppler flow in the ipsilateral common femoral vein (CFV) in the presence of normal phasic Doppler flow in the contralateral CFV.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Age less than 18 years
2. Acute ipsilateral proximal DVT episode within the last 3 months, or acute contralateral DVT for which thrombolytic therapy is planned
3. Lack of suitable inflow into the ipsilateral common femoral vein per the treating physician
4. Previous stent placement in the infrarenal IVC or ipsilateral iliac or common femoral vein
5. Absence of PTS of at least moderate severity
6. Chronic arterial limb ischemia (ankle-brachial index \< 0.5 within the previous 1 month) in the ipsilateral leg (if peripheral arterial disease is present or suspected, an ankle-brachial index should be obtained and documented)
7. Presence of open venous ulcer \> 50 cm2 area, suspicion for active ulcer infection, or visualization of bone or tendon within the ulcer in the ipsilateral leg
8. Inability to tolerate endovascular procedure due to acute illness, or general health
9. Severe allergy to iodinated contrast refractory to steroid premedication
10. Known allergy to stent or catheter components
11. Hemoglobin \< 8.0 g/dl, uncorrectable INR \> 3.05, or platelet count \< 75,000/ml
12. Severe renal impairment (on chronic dialysis or estimated GFR \< 30 ml/min)
13. Disseminated intravascular coagulation or other major bleeding diathesis
14. Pregnancy (positive pregnancy test)
15. Life-expectancy \< 6 months or chronically non-ambulatory for reasons other than PTS
16. Inability to provide informed consent or to comply with study assessments

Note - patients who initially meet an exclusion criterion can have eligibility re-evaluated on a subsequent occasion.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Ontario Clinical Oncology Group (OCOG)

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Massachusetts General Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Washington University School of Medicine

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Suresh Vedantham, M.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Clinical Coordinating Center at Washington University School of Medicine

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

St. Joseph's Vascular Institute

Orange, California, United States

Site Status

UCSF

San Francisco, California, United States

Site Status

Yale New Haven Hospital

New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Site Status

Christiana Care Hospital

Newark, Delaware, United States

Site Status

Rush Medical Center

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Site Status

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Site Status

NorthShore University Health System

Evanston, Illinois, United States

Site Status

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois, United States

Site Status

Indiana University

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Site Status

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa, United States

Site Status

University of Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Site Status

University of Mississippi Medical Center

Jackson, Mississippi, United States

Site Status

Washington University School of Medicine

St Louis, Missouri, United States

Site Status

St. Elizabeth's Hospital

Lincoln, Nebraska, United States

Site Status

New York University Medical Center

New York, New York, United States

Site Status

New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medicine

New York, New York, United States

Site Status

University of Vermont Health Network - CVPH

Plattsburgh, New York, United States

Site Status

Staten Island Hospital

Staten Island, New York, United States

Site Status

Stony Brook Hospital

Stony Brook, New York, United States

Site Status

University of North Carolina

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

Site Status

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center

Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Site Status

Jobst Vascular Institute

Toledo, Ohio, United States

Site Status

University of Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States

Site Status

Oregon Health & Sciences University

Portland, Oregon, United States

Site Status

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

University of Pittsburg

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Houston, Texas, United States

Site Status

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, Virginia, United States

Site Status

Gundersen Health System

La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States

Site Status

Medical College of Wisconsin

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Flumignan RL, Nakano LC, Flumignan CD, Baptista-Silva JC. Angioplasty or stenting for deep venous thrombosis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025 Feb 19;2(2):CD011468. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011468.pub2.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 39968829 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

201707130

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id