Clinical Research Directory

Cardiovascular Risk in Peripheral Artery Disease Patients Undergoing Endovascular Revascularisation

This study will investigate heart-related complications in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) undergoing endovascular revascularization procedures to improve blood flow in the legs. Previous studies have shown that some patients develop silent heart injury after these procedures, even without symptoms, and that this may be associated with worse long-term outcomes. Approximately 500 patients will be included in the study. Blood tests for cardiac biomarkers, including high-sensitivity troponin and NT-proBNP, will be performed before and after the procedure. Participants will also undergo ultrasound examination of the heart to assess heart function, including advanced measures that may detect early or subtle heart damage. In addition, heart rate variability will be measured using a short electrocardiogram recording. Patients will be followed for 30 days and 1 year after the procedure to assess the occurrence of major cardiovascular events, limb-related complications, and death. Additional blood samples will be collected and stored for future analysis of inflammation, oxidative stress, and genetic markers that may help explain the mechanisms associated with heart injury and prognosis in these patients.

Sensorised Surgical Gloves for Neuroendovascular Procedures

A deeper understanding of the forces required for optimal flow diverter stent deployment could improve procedural safety and shorten the learning curve for new devices. In the past, force sensors have been physically attached to devices in some way. The investigators approach is to incorporate force sensors into the hands of the operator handling the device using sensorised surgical gloves. Participants will be asked to deploy a Flow Diverter (FD) in a biorealistic silicone model while wearing force sensing surgical gloves. The primary objective of the study is to show whether sensorised gloves are capable of meaningful force detection in neurointerventional procedures. The investigators will also explore the potential of developing computer vision technology in neurointervention. The investigators are inviting groups of experts and novices to participate. This will allow the investigators to understand if analysis of glove force outputs can distinguish operator experience.

Introduction of an Operating Room Black Box to Identify, Analyse and Prevent Errors in the Vascular Hybrid Room

The "OR Black box", an inclusive multiport data capturing system has been developed and successfully used for detailed analysis of laparoscopic surgical procedures. A pilot study has shown that this system can be successfully installed in the hybrid room at Ghent University Hospital and used for detailed analysis of intra-operative errors and radiation safety issues in endovascular procedures. Secondary analysis of pilot study data via direct video coding assessed the relationship between leadership style of the surgeon and team behavior and possible fluctuations during surgery. This novel approach allows a prospective objective assessment of human and environmental factors as well as measurement of errors, events and outcomes. In this study, the aim is to use the acquired knowledge to characterize a chain of events, identify high-risk interventions and identify areas for improvement, both on an organizational, team or individual level. Hypothesis: non-technical skills, environmental factors and teamwork in the hybrid room correlate with surgical technical performance and error rates. Furthermore, we hypothesize that incidents and adverse events can be tracked to a chain of errors that is influenced by technical and non-technical skills as well as environmental factors.

Study on Prognosis of Acutely Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms

The SPARTA study is a prospective multicenter observational trial in the Netherlands with the aim of identifying the best clinical care in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoidal haemorrhage. Differences in outcome between surgical treatment and endovascular treatment will be explored. Furthermore, cost effectiveness and radiological prognostic factors will be examined.

Mechanical Thrombectomy in the Middle East and North Africa: Interim Results from the MEMENTO Registry

The MEMENTO (MEchanical thrMobectomy NETwork for MENA TOgether) Registry is a multicenter, prospective observational study aiming to evaluate the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large vessel occlusions (LVO) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This interim analysis reports on the first 499 patients enrolled, assessing clinical outcomes, procedural details, and economic implications.

Standardization of Physician-Modified Stent Grafts for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

This study explores the use of physician-modified stent grafts (PMSGs) for treating abdominal aortic aneurysms that are unsuitable for open surgery or standard endovascular grafts. Custom-made fenestrated endografts are not viable in urgent or symptomatic cases due to lengthy manufacturing times. Although off-the-shelf branched devices are more readily available, they present challenges such as high costs, extensive thoracic coverage, limited long-term data, and anatomical restrictions. Parallel graft techniques are also associated with concerns regarding their durability. PMSG procedures, however, are not standardized and rely heavily on the physician's experience and expertise. The aim of this comprehensive study is to establish expert consensus on the indications, planning protocols, and procedural techniques for PMSGs.

Triage of Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke Due to Large Vessel Occlusions-2

The objective of this study is to create a comprehensive, real-world, multi-center observational registry of consecutive patients admitted to hospitals with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) caused by large vessel occlusions (LVO), who are treated with either endovascular therapy (EVT) or the best available medical management (BMM).

Remote Ischemic Conditioning Combined With Endovascular Stenting for Symptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis

The purpose of this registry is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of RIC for patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (sICAS) undergoing endovascular therapy.