Prediction and Prevention of Postoperative Mortality and Morbidity

NCT ID: NCT06042413

Last Updated: 2026-02-05

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

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Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

1200 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-02-28

Study Completion Date

2027-02-03

Brief Summary

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This study will contribute to creating a prospective and automated preoperative risk assessment algorithm for predicting 30-day mortality, major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), and postoperative neurocognitive outcomes following elective cardiac and vascular surgery in older adults. It will evaluate associations between perioperative factors and longer-term neurocognitive outcomes, including postoperative neurocognitive disorder and dementia. In addition, this study will assess scalable, multimodal preoperative and intraoperative interventions to improve perioperative outcomes.

This study will explore two main hypotheses:

1. Preoperative personalized prehabilitation with proactive cognitive and behavioral interventions will improve postoperative cognitive outcomes, morbidity, and mortality in high-risk elderly surgical patients.
2. Proactive bundled intraoperative interventions are superior to reactive standard of care in reducing postoperative cognitive outcomes, MACCE, and mortality.

Expected Outcome: Improved EHR algorithm will have higher predictive accuracy for MACCE and mortality while predicting postoperative cognitive outcomes.

Detailed Description

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This study will cover the following two specific aims:

Aim 1. A pragmatic, non-randomized study to assess the effectiveness of preoperative personalized prehabilitation with proactive cognitive and behavioral interventions versus standard of care on reducing postoperative cognitive outcomes (including postoperative delirium within 30 days, postoperative cognitive decline, and dementia), MACCE, and mortality in high-risk surgical elderly patients (≥65 years). Our Electronic Health Record (EHR)-based automated machine-learning risk prediction algorithm for postoperative mortality and MACCE has been developed using \>1.25 million surgical patients' data and implemented with superior performance to comparators. This EHR algorithm will identify approximately 1,000 patients at high risk for 30-day mortality and MACCE who proceed to surgery for Aim 1. Participants will receive either standard of care (n=500) or CPC-guided personalized preoperative prehabilitation with proactive cognitive or behavioral interventions (physical exercise, cognitive training, enhanced social support, and depression support) (n=500), based on real-world clinical referral practices rather than randomization. Cognitive assessments will be performed at baseline, discharge, and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months.

Aim 2 Hypothesis: Proactive bundled intraoperative interventions are superior to standard intraoperative care in reducing postoperative cognitive outcomes, MACCE, and mortality.

Expected Outcome: The refined EHR-based risk prediction algorithm will demonstrate improved accuracy for predicting MACCE, mortality, and postoperative cognitive outcomes.

Conditions

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Dementia Postoperative Delirium (POD) Postoperative Neurocognitive Disorder Major Adverse Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Events Perioperative Complications Postoperative Cognitive Decline

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Up to 1,200 participants aged 65 years and older scheduled for elective cardiac or vascular surgery will be screened. Approximately 1,000 higher-risk participants (≥2.5% predicted risk of 30-day mortality or MACCE) who proceed to surgery will be included in Aim 1. Aim 1 is a pragmatic, non-randomized comparison in which approximately 500 participants receive CPC-guided preoperative prehabilitation and cognitive or behavioral interventions (Group A), and approximately 500 participants receive preoperative standard of care without CPC referral (Group B). Assignment is based on real-world clinical referral practices.

Participants from Aim 1 who require intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring will be screened for Aim 2. Eligible participants (approximately 500) will be stratified by Aim 1 group and randomized 1:1 to reactive standard-of-care intraoperative management (Group C, n=250) or proactive bundled intraoperative interventions (Group D, n=250).
Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Participants are not blinded in Aim 1, however in the intraoperative intervention trial (Aim 2), participants and family members are blinded to the intervention assignment.

Study Groups

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CPC Preoperative Intervention (Aim 1)

Participants referred to the Center for Perioperative Care (CPC) by their surgical team will receive preoperative prehabilitation and proactive cognitive and behavioral interventions prior to surgery. Assignment to this group is not randomized and reflects real world clinical practice. Participants will receive standard intraoperative monitoring during surgery.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Personalized CPC Prehabilitation

Intervention Type OTHER

Patients referred for elective surgery will be scheduled for a preoperative evaluation (3 to 6 weeks prior to surgery) and will receive standardized and personalized assessment and prehabilitation according to UPMC disease specific algorithms

Cognitive Training

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants will be provided with access to the Lumosity (Lumos Labs) software for installation on a home device. They will be trained to navigate the touchscreen tablet and guided through an introductory series of brain exercise games focused on 5 main categories: memory, speed, attention, flexibility, and problem-solving. Patients will be asked to complete a cognitive exercise dosage of a minimum of 20 minutes a day for ≥5 days prior to their date of surgery. Research coordinators and volunteers from UPMC's Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) will reach out to participants daily for a quick social check-in and to remind them to perform their training. Compliance data will be retrieved from the Lumosity app.

Meditation

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

A single guided meditation session with instructions will be provided using a smart device. The meditation session will last for at least 10 minutes daily starting at least 1-week prior to surgery. If the subject does not own a smart device, one will be provided or meditation will be completed in-person or over the phone.

Daily Exercise

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants in the intervention group will meet with an occupational or physical therapist approximately 1-6 weeks before surgery who will discuss the potential benefits of exercise and give directions for an easy strength training exercise. Participants will then be provided with a video link for a guided exercise and encouraged to walk or perform a seated strength exercise for ≥ 5 minutes each day for at least 1 week before surgery and after surgery. Patient reported frequency, fitness app compliance and exercise duration with REDCap email or mobile link or over telephone will be collected before and after surgery. Patients will be cleared by an occupational or physical therapist to perform the upper-extremity exercises and will confirm the exercises are not contraindicated after surgery. An occupational or physical therapist will see subject again post-surgery to mitigate risk of injury.

Enhanced Social Support

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Research coordinators and volunteers from the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) will contact participants prior to surgery to discuss concerns, provide regular social support, and remind participants to complete assigned cognitive exercises. The role of family members and caregivers in supporting the participant will also be discussed, and their involvement will be encouraged when appropriate.

Participants in the CPC preoperative intervention group may receive preoperative interventions to address depressive symptoms as part of CPC-guided prehabilitation, when clinically indicated.

Intra-operative Standard of Care

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

This includes routine intraoperative SSEP and EEG monitoring. Physician oversight and interpretation of real-time neuromonitoring data will be performed using a combined on-site and remote model at UPMC. In the event that changes in EEG or SSEP are considered significant by the oversight neurophysiologists, the surgical team will be immediately informed so that immediate appropriate action can be taken to reverse the change.

Preoperative Standard of Care (Aim 1)

Participants who do not receive CPC referral will receive standard preoperative care prior to surgery. Assignment to this group is not randomized. Participants will receive standard intraoperative monitoring during surgery.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Pre-operative Standard of Care

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Participants will receive routine preoperative clinical care per institutional standard practice.

Intra-operative Standard of Care

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

This includes routine intraoperative SSEP and EEG monitoring. Physician oversight and interpretation of real-time neuromonitoring data will be performed using a combined on-site and remote model at UPMC. In the event that changes in EEG or SSEP are considered significant by the oversight neurophysiologists, the surgical team will be immediately informed so that immediate appropriate action can be taken to reverse the change.

Proactive Bundled Intraoperative Interventions (Aim 2)

Participants in Aim 2 are drawn from Aim 1 participants who meet IONM eligibility. Participants requiring intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring will be randomized on the day of surgery to receive proactive bundled intraoperative interventions in addition to standard intraoperative monitoring.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Proactive Bundle Interventions

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants randomized to the proactive bundled intervention group (Group D) will receive routine intraoperative SSEP and EEG monitoring and proactive optimization of intraoperative physiology, including maintaining mean arterial pressure ≥65 mmHg, adequate oxygenation, opioid sparing analgesia, and avoidance of deep anesthesia and benzodiazepines.

If persistent focal changes in SSEP and EEG (i.e., changes in one hemisphere) occur, reactive measures will be implemented to increase cerebral perfusion, including ensuring hematocrit \>30, maintaining anesthetic BIS \>50-60, and initiating stroke management and thrombectomy if clinically indicated

Intra-operative Standard of Care

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

This includes routine intraoperative SSEP and EEG monitoring. Physician oversight and interpretation of real-time neuromonitoring data will be performed using a combined on-site and remote model at UPMC. In the event that changes in EEG or SSEP are considered significant by the oversight neurophysiologists, the surgical team will be immediately informed so that immediate appropriate action can be taken to reverse the change.

Reactive Intraoperative Standard of Care (Aim 2)

Participants in Aim 2 are drawn from Aim 1 participants who meet IONM eligibility. Participants requiring intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring will be randomized on the day of surgery to receive reactive standard of care intraoperative management with routine SSEP and EEG monitoring.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Intra-operative Standard of Care

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

This includes routine intraoperative SSEP and EEG monitoring. Physician oversight and interpretation of real-time neuromonitoring data will be performed using a combined on-site and remote model at UPMC. In the event that changes in EEG or SSEP are considered significant by the oversight neurophysiologists, the surgical team will be immediately informed so that immediate appropriate action can be taken to reverse the change.

Interventions

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Personalized CPC Prehabilitation

Patients referred for elective surgery will be scheduled for a preoperative evaluation (3 to 6 weeks prior to surgery) and will receive standardized and personalized assessment and prehabilitation according to UPMC disease specific algorithms

Intervention Type OTHER

Cognitive Training

Participants will be provided with access to the Lumosity (Lumos Labs) software for installation on a home device. They will be trained to navigate the touchscreen tablet and guided through an introductory series of brain exercise games focused on 5 main categories: memory, speed, attention, flexibility, and problem-solving. Patients will be asked to complete a cognitive exercise dosage of a minimum of 20 minutes a day for ≥5 days prior to their date of surgery. Research coordinators and volunteers from UPMC's Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) will reach out to participants daily for a quick social check-in and to remind them to perform their training. Compliance data will be retrieved from the Lumosity app.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Meditation

A single guided meditation session with instructions will be provided using a smart device. The meditation session will last for at least 10 minutes daily starting at least 1-week prior to surgery. If the subject does not own a smart device, one will be provided or meditation will be completed in-person or over the phone.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Daily Exercise

Participants in the intervention group will meet with an occupational or physical therapist approximately 1-6 weeks before surgery who will discuss the potential benefits of exercise and give directions for an easy strength training exercise. Participants will then be provided with a video link for a guided exercise and encouraged to walk or perform a seated strength exercise for ≥ 5 minutes each day for at least 1 week before surgery and after surgery. Patient reported frequency, fitness app compliance and exercise duration with REDCap email or mobile link or over telephone will be collected before and after surgery. Patients will be cleared by an occupational or physical therapist to perform the upper-extremity exercises and will confirm the exercises are not contraindicated after surgery. An occupational or physical therapist will see subject again post-surgery to mitigate risk of injury.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Enhanced Social Support

Research coordinators and volunteers from the Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP) will contact participants prior to surgery to discuss concerns, provide regular social support, and remind participants to complete assigned cognitive exercises. The role of family members and caregivers in supporting the participant will also be discussed, and their involvement will be encouraged when appropriate.

Participants in the CPC preoperative intervention group may receive preoperative interventions to address depressive symptoms as part of CPC-guided prehabilitation, when clinically indicated.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Proactive Bundle Interventions

Participants randomized to the proactive bundled intervention group (Group D) will receive routine intraoperative SSEP and EEG monitoring and proactive optimization of intraoperative physiology, including maintaining mean arterial pressure ≥65 mmHg, adequate oxygenation, opioid sparing analgesia, and avoidance of deep anesthesia and benzodiazepines.

If persistent focal changes in SSEP and EEG (i.e., changes in one hemisphere) occur, reactive measures will be implemented to increase cerebral perfusion, including ensuring hematocrit \>30, maintaining anesthetic BIS \>50-60, and initiating stroke management and thrombectomy if clinically indicated

Intervention Type OTHER

Pre-operative Standard of Care

Participants will receive routine preoperative clinical care per institutional standard practice.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Intra-operative Standard of Care

This includes routine intraoperative SSEP and EEG monitoring. Physician oversight and interpretation of real-time neuromonitoring data will be performed using a combined on-site and remote model at UPMC. In the event that changes in EEG or SSEP are considered significant by the oversight neurophysiologists, the surgical team will be immediately informed so that immediate appropriate action can be taken to reverse the change.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* 65 years of age and older
* Identified as higher risk (≥2.5%) for 30-day mortality and MACCE based on the UPMC's Perioperative Model (EHR risk prediction algorithm)
* Scheduled for major cardiac surgeries including coronary artery bypass and valvular repair and/or vascular surgeries including carotid endarterectomy, aortic aneurysm repair, and major vascular surgeries
* RAI score ≥ 30
* Informed consent
* English speaking patients


* Enrolled in Aim 1 / Part I Preoperative Intervention Trial
* Scheduled for high-risk, cardiac or vascular surgery requiring intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM)
* Moderate and high risk for mortality based on Society of Thoracic Surgery score (score \>4)

Exclusion Criteria

* Children (\<18 years)
* Patients unable to provide consent
* Participants undergoing same day procedures or operations (discharged same day)
* Patients with severe preoperative medical diseases such as blindness or significant visual impairment, unresolved motor weakness, or any other perioperative events or complications that would have a bearing on the patient's ability to perform study tasks, neuropsychological tests, and proposed interventions


* Pregnant women
* Patients do not provide consent.
* Patients are unable to participate in cognitive and other behavioral assessment due to physical limitations
* Patients refuse any blood transfusions during surgery
Minimum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Institute on Aging (NIA)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Pittsburgh

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Senthil Sadhasivam

Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Senthilkumar Sadhasivam, MD, MPH, MBA

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Pittsburgh

Amy Monroe, MPH, MBA

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

University of Pittsburgh

Locations

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UPMC Montefiore Hospital

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

UPMC Presbyterian Hospital

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

UPMC Shadyside Hospital

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

UPMC Mercy Hospital

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

UPMC Passavant Hospital

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Alisha Maslanka, BS, CCRC

Role: CONTACT

4128646779

Dayana Alsamsam, BSPS, MSc

Role: CONTACT

412-623-4147

Facility Contacts

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Senthil Sadhasivam, MD

Role: primary

4126474484

Senthilkumar Sadhasivam

Role: primary

317-948-3845

Alisha Maslanka, BS, CCRC

Role: backup

412-864-6779

Senthil Sadhasivam, MD

Role: primary

4126474484

Senthil Sadhasivam, MD

Role: primary

4126474484

Senthil Sadhasivam, MD

Role: primary

4126474484

Other Identifiers

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R01AG085115

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

STUDY25110125

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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