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NCT Number: NCT07640646

Cardiac Surgery, the Incidence and Impact of Chronic postOperative Pain: a Survey

This survey study aims to investigate the incidence of Chronic post surgical pain (CPSP) in cardiac surgery patients treated at UZ Leuven. The primary hypothesis is that the incidence of CPSP at 3 months postoperatively is lower than 33%, which is the rate commonly reported in the literature. Secondary objectives include comparing CPSP incidence based on the type of surgical incision, as well as comparing incidences between type of surgery. Finally, the study will assess pain intensity, interference with daily activities, and quality of life of 3 months and when required also at 1 years postoperatively.

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Key information

Conditions

Chronic Postoperative Pain Cardiac Surgery Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pain, Postoperative Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Postoperative Complications Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

University Hospital Leuven

Leuven, Vlaams Brabant, 3000, Belgium

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Danny Hoogma F Hoogma, MD, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

003216344270

About this study

Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) is a significant and under-recognized complication following cardiac surgery, with incidence estimates ranging from 11% to 39% at 6-12 months and persisting in a notable minority for years postoperatively. Recent prospective cohort studies have demonstrated that nearly one in three patients report pain at 3 months, and approximately 15% continue to experience pain at 1 year after cardiac surgery. Long-term follow-up data indicate that up to 10% of patients may have persistentend pain, with substantial impact on health-related quality of life.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses confirm that CPSP after cardiac surgery is common, with moderate to severe pain intensity reported in up to half of affected patients, and neuropathic pain phenotypes are frequently observed. The chest remains the primary location, but pain may also involve the leg, especially in cases with saphenous vein harvesting. Risk factors consistently identified include younger age, female sex, pre-existing chronic pain, preoperative depression or anxiety, high acute postoperative pain scores, and intraoperative factors such as remifentanil infusion and prolonged operative time.

The Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, in its recent practice advisories, emphasizes the importance of multimodal analgesia and individualized pain management strategies to mitigate CPSP risk and improve postoperative outcomes. Despite advances in perioperative care, there remains considerable variability in pain management practices and a lack of consensus guidelines, underscoring the urgent need for further research and standardized approaches. Collectively, these findings establish CPSP after cardiac surgery as a clinically relevant problem with substantial patient and healthcare system burden, justifying the need for rigorous investigation into its mechanisms, risk factors, and preventive strategies.

In the UZ Leuven we have standardized our perioperative care and pain management. The alarming incidence of CPSP is not observed in our center, however, this is possibly due to lack of systematic follow-up. The current study aims to bridge this gap and guide future research within our hospital.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Adults, aged ≥ 18 years of age, who underwent cardiac surgery (valvular, coronary bypass, other intracardiac or aortic surgery) during the 1 year recruitment period
  • Able to provide informed consent
  • Able to respond by telephone

Exclusion criteria

  • Deceased
  • Refusal
  • Chronic pain in the surgical region

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Incidence of chronic post surgical pain

    Time frame: 3 months

    Numerical rating scale (NRS) for pain (persistent or recurrent) longer than 3 months present, the apin began or increased in intensity after surgery, the pain is in the surgical area and persisted for at least 3 months after the initiation event, and is not better accounted for by an infection, malignancy, a pre-existing pain condition or alternative.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Chronic post surgical pain

    Time frame: 1 year

    Numerical rating scale (NRS) for pain (persistent or recurrent) longer than 3 months present, the apin began or increased in intensity after surgery, the pain is in the surgical area and persisted for at least 3 months after the initiation event, and is not better accounted for by an infection, malignancy, a pre-existing pain condition or alternative.

  2. Brief pain inventory (BPI)

    Time frame: 3 months

    Details from the BPI (short-form) will be evaluated via telephone call during which pain severity score (mean of items worst pain, least pain and current pain) and pain interference score (mean of interference of pain with general activity, mood, walking, work, relations, sleep enjoyment of life) will be assessed. All items will be assessed on a score of 0-10, with 0 being no pain or interference and 10 the worst pain or impact.

  3. Quality of life 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L)

    Time frame: 3 months

    The EQ-5D-5L evaluates Mobility, Self-Care, Usual Activities, Pain/Discomfort, and Anxiety/Depression. These domains are score on 5 levels (no problem (1) to extreme problem (5), with higher numbers indicating worse health status. A patient rated assessment of they overall health EQ visual analoge score (EQ VAS) with 0 being the worst score up to 100 being the best score.

    The digits-string of the EQ-5D-5L is converted into a single index value based on the Belgian set to have a country-specific scoring algorithm with max of 1.0, reflecting perfect health, down to negative (-0.59) values representing health status 'worse than dead'.

  4. Brief pain inventory (BPI)

    Time frame: 1 year

    Details from the BPI (short-form) will be evaluated via telephone call during which pain severity score (mean of items worst pain, least pain and current pain) and pain interference score (mean of interference of pain with general activity, mood, walking, work, relations, sleep enjoyment of life) will be assessed. All items will be assessed on a score of 0-10, with 0 being no pain or interference and 10 the worst pain or impact.

  5. Quality of life 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L)

    Time frame: 1 year

    The EQ-5D-5L evaluates Mobility, Self-Care, Usual Activities, Pain/Discomfort, and Anxiety/Depression. These domains are score on 5 levels (no problem (1) to extreme problem (5), with higher numbers indicating worse health status. A patient rated assessment of they overall health EQ visual analoge score (EQ VAS) with 0 being the worst score up to 100 being the best score.

    The digits-string of the EQ-5D-5L is converted into a single index value based on the Belgian set to have a country-specific scoring algorithm with max of 1.0, reflecting perfect health, down to negative values (-0.59) representing health status 'worse than dead'.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Christel Huygens Huygens

CONTACT

[email protected]

003216344620

Danny Hoogma F Hoogma, MD, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

003216344270

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven

Other

Registry information

Acronym: Cardiac COPS

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2028
First posted
Jun 11, 2026
Registry last updated
Jun 11, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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