Clinical Research Directory

Use of Shockwave M5+/L6 IVL Catheter (Intravascular Lithotripsy) in Hostile and Calcified Iliac Access

The study will evaluate, in a controlled setting, the efficacy and safety of the intravascular lithotripsy using Shockwave™ M5+/L6 Peripheral Intravascular Lithotripsy Catheter to facilitate delivery of aortic large-bore devices in iliac calcified access.

Longitudinal Validation of CIRC Technologies

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Advanced cardiovascular imaging using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has proven to be effective in providing gold standard myocardial tissue characterization. Moreover, the intrinsic advantage of MRI's lack of exposure to ionizing radiation is particularly beneficial. At the same time, blood work can be very useful in early detection of certain cardiomyopathy, such as amyloid. However, there is a lack of agreement of on which markers are the most sensitive. This multi-study will allow the unique opportunity to form a more comprehensive understanding for various cardiovascular diseases. The study team has developed novel cardiac MRI techniques that leverages endogenous tissue properties to reveal a milieu of deep tissue phenotypes including myocardial inflammation, fibrosis, metabolism, and microstructural defects. Among these phenotypes, myocardial microstructure has proven to be most sensitive to early myocardial tissue damage and is predictive of myocardial regeneration. In this study, the investigators aim to further study the importance of cardiac microstructure revealed by MRI in patient and healthy population and compare this novel technology with conventional clinical biomarkers.

Impact of Aortic Diseases on Quality of Life and Work Ability

Aortic diseases encompass a wide spectrum of congenital and acquired, acute and chronic conditions, characterized by high clinical and prognostic complexity. The aorta plays a central role in blood flow distribution and hemodynamic modulation owing to its elastic properties, which become progressively impaired with aging and in the presence of genetic or degenerative factors. Beyond clinical outcomes, aortic diseases lead to a marked reduction in health-related quality of life, psychological well-being, and functional capacity, with significant occupational and social consequences, thereby making multidisciplinary management necessary. This longitudinal observational study aims to systematically assess health-related quality of life, fatigue, psychological well-being, and work ability in patients with aortic diseases, with the objective of providing objective bases for occupational risk evaluation and promoting an interdisciplinary management model that integrates clinical, psychological, and work-related aspects, thereby supporting the maintenance or recovery of work functioning.

Intervascular Post-Market Clinical Follow-Up (PMCF) Registry

The purpose of this registry is to evaluate the long-term safety and performance of Intervascular Vascular Grafts and Patches (Intergard Standard, Hemashield, Intergard Silver, Intergard Synergy) for bypass, repair or replacement of aortic, peripheral, or carotid arteries. This registry is intended to further define the expected product lifetime of the devices and to collect data related to usefulness of the antimicrobial coatings.

A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Effectiveness of the Rapidlink Device When Used in Patients Undergoing an Open Surgical Procedure to Repair the Aorta

The Goal of this Clinical Study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Rapidlink device in the repair or replacement of the supra-aortic vessels during open surgical repair of aortic disease affecting the thoracic aorta. This study will collect information on patients who are already having surgery to repair their aorta and who will have Rapidlink device implanted into one or more of the aortic arch vessels. The first 32 subjects enrolled will undergo left subclavian artery repair or replacement, only, with the Rapidlink device. After the 32nd subject, enrollment will proceed to include subjects undergoing any supra-aortic vessel (i.e., left subclavian artery, left common carotid artery, and/or innominate artery) repair or replacement with the Rapidlink device in a planned surgery. After the 32nd subject is enrolled in the main group, up to 30 subjects will undergo supra-aortic vessel (i.e., left subclavian artery, left common carotid artery, and/or innominate artery) repair or replacement with the Rapidlink device in an emergency setting. Data will be collected before, during and after surgery including recovery at discharge, 30 days, 6 months, 1 and 2 years after the surgery.

Montalcino Aortic Consortium: Precision Medicine for Heritable Thoracic Aortic Disease

The Montalcino Aortic Consortium (MAC) will provide the infrastructure to assemble large cohorts of patients with mutations in known heritable thoracic aortic disease (H-TAD) genes, define the phenotype associated with these genes, and determine genetic and environmental modifiers of H-TAD.

Cerebral Protection in Aortic Arch Surgery

Aortic arch repair surgery is a technically complex and challenging procedure to treat aortic pathologies. Despite advancements in perioperative care, detrimental neurological complications occur during or after surgery. The neurological complications increase the economic burden of healthcare, morbidity and quality of life for the patients, even if they survive. Stroke, for example, leads to an increase in healthcare and social care costs, requiring a subsequent lengthy rehabilitation. Milder neurological impairments include transient ischaemic attacks, confusion and delirium, necessitating longer intensive care and hospital stay. Currently applied cerebral monitoring modalities are electroencephalogram and cerebral oximetry. However, they are not specific enough to timely detect early cerebral ischaemia to prevent neurological complications. S100B protein and neuron-specific enolase are serum markers that reflect cerebral damage, however, their applicability in the hyperacute setting is limited. However, rapid measurements of glial fibrillary protein have paved new pathways to detect cerebral injury. Recent studies reveal more sensitive biomarkers of glucose, lactate, pyruvate, glutamate and glycerol. These biomarkers could potentially detect cerebral ischaemia on a near real-time basis using the microdialysis method. The aim of the project is to develop a bedside system for early detection of cerebral ischaemia on a near real-time basis during aortic arch surgery. Early detection of cerebral ischaemia could mandate more aggressive cerebral protection strategies by further optimisation of hypothermia and antegrade selective cerebral perfusion during surgery, and optimisation of blood pressure and oxygenation in the intensive care unit. Ultimately, early detection of cerebral ischemia during surgery will prevent disabling and costly neurological complications following surgery.

INFLATE Study: Investigation of the Safety and Performance of a Novel PTV Balloon in Patients Undergoing TAVI for Severe Aortic Stenosis

This clinical investigation is being done to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a new device, a PTV Balloon, that will be used to open up an area in the heart (the valve) before and potentially after placing a new valve in patients requiring a new heart valve. The main question it aims to answer is: What percentage of patients develop new heart conduction problems after using the investigational PTV Balloon for pre-dilatation? Participants will: 1. Undergo a TAVI procedure, where the PTV Balloon will be used for pre-dilatation and may also be used for post-dilatation. 2. Will be followed up until discharge or up to 7 days, whichever happens first.

Comparison of the Diagnosis Time of VET and SCL in Patients With Intraoperative Coagulopathy

The present study is a prospective, multi-center observational trial comparing the times taken to diagnose coagulopathies using point-of-care (POC) viscoelastic tests or standard central laboratory tests (SCL tests) in patients with intraoperative bleeding.

Effective Myocardial Protection Time of Del Nido Cardioplegia in Adult Cardiac Surgery

This single-center, prospective, observational cohort study quantifies the effective myocardial protection window of Del Nido cardioplegia during adult open-heart surgery performed under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and aortic cross-clamp (ACC). Without altering routine care, time-stamped high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) measurements will be obtained at predefined intraoperative and early postoperative intervals to identify the inflection ("change-point") at which biochemical evidence of ischemic injury begins to rise. Eighty adults undergoing elective valve and/or thoracic aortic procedures with Del Nido cardioplegia will be enrolled. The primary endpoint is the intraoperative hs-cTn change-point time referenced to ACC. Secondary endpoints include associations between change-point and ACC duration, the presence/timing of any re-dose, and early clinical outcomes (e.g., low cardiac output syndrome, maximum VIS in the first 24 h, new arrhythmia or pacemaker need, acute kidney injury by KDIGO, ventilation hours, ICU/hospital length of stay, 30-day MACE and mortality). All cardioplegia choices (dose, route, temperature, re-dose decisions) remain per standard practice; no experimental therapy is administered. Risks are minimal and limited to small-volume blood sampling coordinated with routine draws.

Trial of the F2 Filter and Delivery System for Embolic Protection During TAVR

The objective of this study is to compare the safety and effectiveness of the F2 Cerebral Protection System (CPS) to a standard of care control group in patients undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TF TAVR)

Liposomal Bupivacaine/Bupivacaine in Rectus Sheath Blocks Versus Ropivacaine in Rectus Sheath Blocks And Catheters

The goal of this pilot study is to compare single shot rectus sheath blocks of liposomal bupivacaine/bupivacaine mixture to bilateral rectus sheath catheters infused with ropivacaine (standard of care at our facility) in patients undergoing vascular surgery with an open mid-abdominal laparotomy incision. This study will assess the safety and feasibility of this approach compared to standard of care. Participants will receive either a single dose of liposomal bupivacaine/bupivacaine mixture intraoperatively at the end of surgery through bilateral rectus sheath blocks (LB/B group) or the standard of care ropivacaine intraoperatively at the end of surgery through bilateral rectus sheath blocks with the insertion of bilateral RS catheter for continuous ropivacaine infusion plus repeated daily boluses (Catheter group; standard care). They will be assessed for differences in the rate of postoperative complications, resources consumed with each intervention, as well as postoperative pain scores, opioid consumption, hospital and PACU length of stay, patient's satisfaction, and quality of recovery, and hospital length of stay.

ANATOMICAL FEASIBILITY OF BRAILE STANDARD BRANCHED ENDOGRAFT

The objective of this retrospective observational study is to evaluate the theoretical anatomical suitability of the new Braile off-the-shelf multi-branched endograft in patients with thoracoabdominal aneurysm. One hundred preoperative contrast-enhanced computed tomography angiographies (CTAs) from patients previously treated with a custom-made endograft will be analyzed. The hypothesis is that a significant proportion of these patients will have anatomical features compatible with the use of the new endograft.

Aortic Dissection fAlse enlarGement radIomics predictiOn

The objective of this study is to find, in acute phase of aortic dissection, CT scans characteristics through radiomics features, that can help us to predict a significant growth of dissected descending aorta or a false lumen enlargement in order to treat the patient promptly.

Management of Aorto-iliac Infection With BioIntegral Surgical No-React® Bovine Pericardial Xenografts

Aortic infections (AIs), including aortic graft infections (AGI) as well as mycotic aortic aneurysms (MAA), are rare. The aim of this study is to present our experience with xenogeneic aortic and aortoiliac reconstructions using the BioIntegral Surgical No-React® bovine pericardial graft.

Korea VHD Echo Study: Surveillance of Aortic, Mitral & Tricuspid Patients - Insights From Real-world Practice

Valvular heart disease (VHD) is a growing public health concern globally, with increasing disease burden and rising interest in advanced treatment strategies such as transcatheter interventions. However, there remains a significant lack of real-world data regarding echocardiography practices, disease prevalence and progression, referral patterns, and treatment pathways. Addressing these gaps is critical for improving patient care and informing clinical decision-making. South Korea provides a unique opportunity to conduct a nationwide retrospective echocardiographic study due to its advanced healthcare infrastructure, high patient volume, and strong tradition in clinical research. The current study aims to evaluate the real-world burden and clinical journey of patients with moderate or severe valvular disease over a 10-year period, based on echocardiographic and electronic medical record (EMR) data collected from multiple tertiary centers across the country.

Aortic Dilatation Under 5 cm: Genetic Risk Mapping

This retrospective study investigates the prevalence of genetic mutations in patients with ascending aortic dilatation measuring between 4.0 and 5.0 cm-below the standard surgical threshold. Using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), both syndromic and non-syndromic aortopathy gene panels were analyzed in 102 patients who had no history of aortic surgery, dissection, or known genetic disorders. Findings will be compared with population data to better understand genetic risk profiles in borderline aortic dilatation, potentially supporting earlier interventions based on genetic markers. The study was approved by the Samsun University Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee (GOKAEK, 2025/9/2).

ACURATE neo2™ Post Market Clinical Follow up Study

The ACURATE Neo2 PMCF is aimed at collecting clinical and device performance outcomes data with the ACURATE neo2™ Transfemoral Aortic Valve System as used in routine clinical practice for the treatment of severe calcific aortic stenosis.

PANTHER Study of Terumo Aortic Knitted and Woven Grafts, and Cardiovascular Patches

The purpose of this registry is to collect safety and performance data on all commercially available Terumo Aortic knitted and woven grafts, and cardiovascular patches in standard clinical practice. Data will be collected both retrospectively and prospectively.

Identification of Genetic Causes of Calcific Aortic Valve Disease

This study aims to identify the molecular genetic causes of the variability in development of calcific aortic valve disease in bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valves and their associated aortic dilation.

Concordance of Three Imaging Methods by Dynamic CT, Contrast Ultrasound and CT Angiography in the Characterization of Endoleaks in Patients With an Aortic Endoprosthesis

Among patients who have undergone EVAR, there is a significant risk of 20-50% endoleak. These endoleaks often require secondary interventions to reduce the risk of expansion or rupture. Currently, three-phase CT angiography and CEUS ultrasound are recommended in the post-operative monitoring of EVAR but these remain limited in characterizing the type and source of endoleak. In this study the investigators will study the interest of d-CTA for a better detection and characterization of endoleaks.

Development of CIRC Technologies

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Advanced cardiovascular imaging using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has proven to be effective in providing gold standard myocardial tissue characterization. Moreover, the intrinsic advantage of MRI's lack of exposure to ionizing radiation is particularly beneficial. At the same time, blood work can be very useful in early detection of certain cardiomyopathy, such as amyloid. However, there is a lack of agreement of on which markers are the most sensitive. This multi-study will allow us the unique opportunity to form a more comprehensive understanding for various cardiovascular diseases. Our team has developed novel cardiac MRI techniques that leverages endogenous tissue properties to reveal a milieu of deep tissue phenotypes including myocardial inflammation, fibrosis, metabolism, and microstructural defects. Among these phenotypes, myocardial microstructure has proven to be most sensitive to early myocardial tissue damage and is predictive of myocardial regeneration. In this study, the investigators aim to further study the importance of cardiac microstructure revealed by MRI in patient and healthy population and compare this novel technology with conventional clinical biomarkers.

Active Thoracic Compromised Distal LANding in TEvar

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has become the mainstay of aortic intervention for descending thoracic aortic pathology. Its durability hinges on achieving adequate seal in the endograft landing zones (LZs), with the distal LZ largely understudied. Only recently are suboptimal distal LZs receiving attention for their role in major complications including stent graft migration, type 1B endoleaks, and distal stent graft-induced new entry tears, all of which can contribute to further aortic degeneration. The thoracic distal LZ. When a short distal LZ was reported, the distal endoleak rate ranged from 3.5% to 33%. This led to reintervention in 19%, along with coverage of the celiac trunk in more than half of short LZ cases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of TEVAR patients with compromised distal landing zone (CDLZs) treated with distal active fixation stent-grafts (DAFs), distal scallop stent-grafts, distal Aptus Heli-FX EndoAnchors, and standard stent-grafts.

Mid- and Long-term Outcomes of Custom-made Aortic Devices

This study aims to evaluate mid- and long-term outcomes after Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) with custom-made devices.