The Effect of Posterior Pericardiotomy on the Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery-Extended Follow-Up

NCT ID: NCT05903222

Last Updated: 2025-01-29

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

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

420 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-07-01

Study Completion Date

2024-10-13

Brief Summary

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

The purpose of the Effect of Posterior Pericardiotomy on the Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery (PALACS, NCT02875405) trial was to determine if performing posterior left pericardiotomy at the time of cardiac surgery prevents atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery. The purpose of the Posterior left pericardiotomy for the prevention of AtriaL fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery-Extended Follow-Up (PALACS-EF) study is to evaluate the effect of posterior left pericardiotomy on 5-year clinical outcomes.

Detailed Description

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

Post-operative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a common complication of cardiac surgery which is observed in 30-40% of patients. POAF has also been associated with stroke, systemic embolism or cardiac failure during the years after surgery. Several strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of POAF have been investigated, including beta-blockers, amiodarone, and statins, with unsatisfactory results. In the randomized prospective clinical trial, the PALACS trial, 420 patients were randomized either to the intervention group, which received left posterior pericardiotomy at time of cardiac surgery, or to the control group, which did not receive posterior left pericardiotomy at time of cardiac surgery. Posterior left pericardiotomy was associated with a reduction in the incidence of POAF after surgery, but not with improvement in 30-day patient outcomes.

This non-interventional, prospective study is an extension follow-up study (PALACS-EF) of all patients who were enrolled in the original PALACS trial. It is designed to evaluate differences in clinical outcomes between patients who received posterior left pericardiotomy (intervention) versus those who did not (control) at median follow-up of 5 years.

Conditions

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

Atrial Fibrillation

Study Design

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

Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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

Posterior Pericardiotomy

All patients who were randomized to receive posterior pericardiotomy (intervention) in the original PALACS trial.

Non-Interventional

Intervention Type OTHER

This study is a non-interventional study of all patients previously enrolled in the PALACS trial

No Posterior Pericardiotomy (control)

All patients who were randomized to receive no intervention/no posterior pericardiotomy in the original PALACS trial

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.

Non-Interventional

This study is a non-interventional study of all patients previously enrolled in the PALACS trial

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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

Inclusion Criteria

* This study will include all the subjects enrolled in the PALACS trial

Exclusion Criteria

* Not enrolled in the PALACS trial
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.

Weill Medical College of Cornell University

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.

Leonard N Girardi, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Weill Cornell Medical College New York Presbyterian Hospital

Mario Gaudino, MD

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Weill Cornell Medical College New York Presbyterian Hospital

Locations

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

Weill Cornell Medical College Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery

New York, New York, 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.

Biancari F, Mahar MA. Meta-analysis of randomized trials on the efficacy of posterior pericardiotomy in preventing atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass surgery. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2010 May;139(5):1158-61. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2009.07.012. Epub 2009 Aug 18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19691996 (View on PubMed)

Kaleda VI, McCormack DJ, Shipolini AR. Does posterior pericardiotomy reduce the incidence of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery? Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2012 Apr;14(4):384-9. doi: 10.1093/icvts/ivr099. Epub 2012 Jan 9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22235005 (View on PubMed)

Gaudino M, Sanna T, Ballman KV, Robinson NB, Hameed I, Audisio K, Rahouma M, Di Franco A, Soletti GJ, Lau C, Rong LQ, Massetti M, Gillinov M, Ad N, Voisine P, DiMaio JM, Chikwe J, Fremes SE, Crea F, Puskas JD, Girardi L; PALACS Investigators. Posterior left pericardiotomy for the prevention of atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery: an adaptive, single-centre, single-blind, randomised, controlled trial. Lancet. 2021 Dec 4;398(10316):2075-2083. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02490-9. Epub 2021 Nov 14.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34788640 (View on PubMed)

Gaudino M, Harik L, Redfors B, Sandner S, Alexander JH, Di Franco A, Dimagli A, Weinsaft J, Perezgrovas-Olaria R, Soletti GJ, Lau C, Mack C, Girardi L. The Effect of Posterior Pericardiotomy on the Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery-Extended Follow-Up study (PALACS-EF): rationale and design. Eur Heart J Open. 2023 Nov 17;3(6):oead118. doi: 10.1093/ehjopen/oead118. eCollection 2023 Nov.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 38035038 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

Access external resources that provide additional context or updates about the study.

https://ctsurgery.weillcornell.org/

Weill Cornell Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery

Other Identifiers

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

1502015867-Extension

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Atrial Fibrillation Ablation
NCT03410966 COMPLETED NA