NCT07286227

Assement of Left Ventricular Function Before Decannulation in Cardiac Surgery :Visual Estimation vs TEE

Assessment of Left Ventricular Function Before Decannulation in Cardiopulmonary Bypass Surgeries: Comparison of the Cardiac Surgeon's Visual Estimation and Transesophageal Echocardiography

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 70 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Ataturk University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 75 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the cardiovascular surgeon's visual estimation of LV function before decannulation following cardiopulmonary bypass, using TEE results as the reference standard.

Detailed description

The fundamental rationale for conducting this study is that the moment of decannulation after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) represents one of the most critical stages in cardiac surgery in terms of patient outcomes. At this stage, inadequate left ventricular (LV) function (dysfunction) can lead to severe hemodynamic deterioration, increased complications, and a higher risk of mortality. Therefore, accurately and rapidly assessing LV function just before separation from CPB is of vital importance. Although Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) is currently the most reliable and objective method, it requires specialized equipment, training, and time. On the other hand, experienced cardiac surgeons often make a visual estimation based on the observable physical appearance of the heart (such as its color, contractility, and fullness), relying on their many years of experience. This visual assessment is extremely fast and practical; however, it is subjective, and its reliability has not been clearly established scientifically. Thus, the primary rationale for this study is to fill this gap in the scientific literature and determine how well the surgeon's quick, experience-based visual estimation aligns with the objective findings of TEE, the gold-standard method. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the cardiovascular surgeon's visual estimation of LV function before decannulation following cardiopulmonary bypass, using TEE results as the reference standard. In other words, it aims to statistically determine the agreement between the surgeon's practical visual assessment and the objective measurements provided by TEE, thereby offering a scientific basis for clinical decision-making by revealing the sensitivity and specificity limits of the surgeon's estimation, particularly in detecting critical conditions such as severe dysfunction.

Conditions

• Cardiopulmonary Bypass Surgery
• Left Ventricular Dysfunction

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIAGNOSTIC_TEST	Intraoperative Left Ventricular Function Assessment	Left ventricular function will be assessed during the decannulation phase of cardiopulmonary bypass using two diagnostic methods: (1) visual estimation of ventricular contractility by the cardiac surgeon (eyeballing) and (2) objective measurement using intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). No experimental procedure, medication, or additional intervention will be applied. Both assessments are part of standard intraoperative monitoring in cardiac surgery. Data from both methods will be collected simultaneously to compare accuracy, agreement, and diagnostic performance.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-01-01
• Primary completion: 2026-12-01
• Completion: 2026-12-02
• First posted: 2025-12-16
• Last updated: 2025-12-16

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)