About this trial
This multicenter, prospective, randomized clinical trial aims to compare the effects of spinal (neuraxial) anesthesia with spontaneous ventilation versus general anesthesia with mechanical ventilation on the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications in adult patients undergoing elective lower limb revascularization surgery. A total of 594 patients with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease will be randomly assigned to receive either spinal anesthesia with sedation or general anesthesia with mechanical ventilation. The primary outcome is the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications within 30 days or until hospital discharge, including pneumonia, respiratory failure, pleural effusion, atelectasis, and other defined respiratory events. Secondary outcomes include cardiovascular events, hemodynamic instability, renal injury, delirium, extrapulmonary complications, adverse events in the operated limb, ICU and hospital length of stay, and mortality. The study will be conducted at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, and other participating Brazilian centers, with an expected start date in July 2025 and completion in December 2029.
Eligibility criteria
This trial does not accept healthy volunteersQualifiers
Adults aged ≥18 years
ASA physical status II to IV
Scheduled for elective peripheral arterial revascularization of the lower limbs
Diagnosis of symptomatic peripheral arterial disease with critical limb ischemia
Disqualifiers
Body mass index (BMI) > 40 kg/m²
Emergency vascular surgery
History of lung resection surgery
Persistent hemodynamic instability preoperatively
Trial design
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Spinal Anesthesia
Procedure/SurgeryParticipants will receive subarachnoid (spinal) anesthesia with 15-20 mg of isobaric bupivacaine 0.5% and 100 μg of intrathecal morphine. Clonidine (1 μg/kg) may be added at the discretion of the anesthesiologist. Sedation will be achieved with intravenous midazolam (up to 5 mg), fentanyl (up to 100 μg), and/or target-controlled infusion of propofol. Patients will remain spontaneously breathing throughout the procedure and receive supplemental oxygen via nasal cannula.
General Anesthesia
Procedure/SurgeryParticipants will undergo general anesthesia induced with intravenous propofol (1.5-2.5 mg/kg) or etomidate (0.2-0.3 mg/kg), remifentanil (0.2-0.4 μg/kg/min), and rocuronium (0.6 mg/kg), followed by endotracheal intubation and controlled mechanical ventilation. Maintenance will include continuous remifentanil infusion and inhaled sevoflurane. Ventilation parameters will follow a protective strategy (tidal volume 6-8 mL/kg predicted body weight and PEEP of 5 cmH₂O).
Treatment groups
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
Incidence of Postoperative Pulmonary Complications
Composite incidence of pulmonary complications occurring within 30 days after surgery or until hospital discharge. Events include: pneumonia, respiratory failure, pleural effusion, atelectasis, bronchospasm, aspiration pneumonitis, pneumothorax, pulmonary embolism, exacerbation of preexisting pulmonary disease, tracheobronchitis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), defined according to CDC and Berlin criteria.
Secondary outcomes
Incidence of Major Cardiovascular Complications
Composite outcome including non-fatal myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, and cardiogenic shock occurring in the perioperative period, defined by standard clinical and laboratory criteria.
Incidence of Hemodynamic Complications
Incidence of distributive shock or persistent hypotension requiring vasopressor support during the perioperative period.
Incidence of Extrapulmonary Complications
Includes sepsis, acute kidney injury, delirium, stroke, venous thromboembolism, and surgical limb events (e.g., vascular graft thrombosis, ischemia, amputation), defined according to standardized criteria.
Length of Stay in Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
Total number of hours from the date of surgery to hospital discharge.
Sponsors and contacts
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Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre
Lead sponsor
Grupo Hospitalar Conceição
Collaborator
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