RIPCa

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Remote ischeamic preconditioning in colorectal cancer surgery - a pilot study.

  • IRAS ID

    243707

  • Contact name

    Matthew Dickinson

  • Contact email

    matthew.dickinson@nhs.net

  • Sponsor organisation

    Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    TBC, ISRCTN

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 6 months, 21 days

  • Research summary

    During surgery the body goes through physiological changes that put it under stress and require the presence of adequate blood flow in order to avoid the development of complications. Previous studies have shown that if the blood flow to an arm is briefly reduced (like when a blood pressure cuff is inflated), then the stress to the body is less and the complications are reduced. This technique is called remote ischaemic preconditioning or RIPC. These studies have been done mainly in cardiac surgery. There are a few studies using RIPC in cancer surgery but none in colorectal cancer.

    Patients who are scheduled to undergo surgery for colorectal cancer and who are at increased risk of developing complications after their operation will be invited to take part in the study. Following induction of general anaesthesia, the patients will be randomly allocated to either RIPC or standard group. The patients in the RIPC group will have a blood pressure cuff around one of their arms inflated 3 times for 5 minutes at a time followed by a 5-minute deflation. The patients in the standard group will not undergo this cuff inflation and deflation. Before and after RIPC, we will collect blood and urine samples that will be used for measurement of markers of kidney function (urinary biomarkers) and blood flow to the heart (troponin). All patients will be monitored for the development of complications such as infection, bleeding, heart or kidney failure during hospital stay and then via telephone at 1, 3 and 6 months after the operation. The kidney function will also be assessed via a blood test during the routine follow up 6 weeks after the operation.

    If the study shows improvement in patient outcomes, RIPC will offer an easily implemented and inexpensive way to reduce complications associated with surgery.

  • REC name

    London - Fulham Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    18/LO/1513

  • Date of REC Opinion

    26 Oct 2018

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion