Chronic Postoperative PainCardiac COPSNCT07640646
Cardiac Surgery, the Incidence and Impact of Chronic postOperative Pain: a Survey
An observational study of Chronic Postoperative Pain and Cardiac Surgery, run by Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven at 1 site in Belgium.
Trial summary
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. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Chronic Postoperative Pain, Cardiac Surgery
- How many people
- 1,000 participants
- Where
- 1 siteBelgium
- Study dates
- 1 Jun 2026to 31 May 2028
- How long will I take part?
- 1 Year
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: The study will include all adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery over a 1-year period at UZ Leuven, totaling approximately 1200 cases. With an expected response rate of 80%, the final sample size is estimated at 1000 patients. This sample size is considered sufficient to obtain robust estimates of both early and long-term incidence of CPSP following cardiac surgery at UZ Leuven to support future prospective studies.
Who may be able to join
- 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
Who cannot join
- Deceased
- Refusal
- Chronic pain in the surgical region
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Belgium1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University Hospital Leuven
Leuven, Vlaams Brabant, 3000
Danny Hoogma F Hoogma, MD, PhD, 003216344270, danny.hoogma@uzleuven.be
About this study
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.
Read the detailed description
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.
- Conditions
- Chronic Postoperative Pain, Cardiac Surgery
- Medical subject headings
- Pain, Postoperative
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiac surgery | Not described |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Incidence of chronic post surgical pain
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.
Measured: 3 months
Secondary outcomes (5)
Chronic post surgical pain
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.
Measured: 1 year
Brief pain inventory (BPI)
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.
Measured: 3 months
Quality of life 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L)
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'.
Measured: 3 months
Brief pain inventory (BPI)
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.
Measured: 1 year
Quality of life 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L)
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'.
Measured: 1 year
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted11 Jun 2026
- Study start1 Jun 2026
- Primary completion31 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 May 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Chronic Postoperative PainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU LeuvenThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 1,000 participants (estimated)
- Target duration
- 1 Year
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07640646
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- S71308
- Acronym
- Cardiac COPS
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 1 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 11 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: The trial protocol, statistical analysis plan, de-identified participant data (including data dictionary), statistical code, and additional study materials are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request danny.hoogma@uzleuven.be.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 11 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Cardiac Surgery, the Incidence and Impact of Chronic postOperative Pain: a Survey
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07640646
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Cardiac COPS / S71308
- Conditions
- Chronic Postoperative Pain, Cardiac Surgery
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 1,000 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU LeuvenUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 May 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 11 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
Detailed description
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.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Target follow-up
- 1 Year
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiac surgery | – | – |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- The study will include all adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery over a 1-year period at UZ Leuven, totaling approximately 1200 cases. With an expected response rate of 80%, the final sample size is estimated at 1000 patients. This sample size is considered sufficient to obtain robust estimates of both early and long-term incidence of CPSP following cardiac surgery at UZ Leuven to support future prospective studies.
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- 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
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Deceased
- Refusal
- Chronic pain in the surgical region
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
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.
5 secondary outcomes
Chronic post surgical pain
Time frame: 1 year
Brief pain inventory (BPI)
Time frame: 3 months
Quality of life 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L)
Time frame: 3 months
Brief pain inventory (BPI)
Time frame: 1 year
Quality of life 5-level EQ-5D version (EQ-5D-5L)
Time frame: 1 year
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 11 Jun 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. The trial protocol, statistical analysis plan, de-identified participant data (including data dictionary), statistical code, and additional study materials are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request danny.hoogma@uzleuven.be.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Chronic Postoperative Pain and Cardiac Surgery, run by Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven at 1 site in Belgium.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Belgium. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Danny Hoogma F Hoogma, MD, PhD (003216344270, danny.hoogma@uzleuven.be), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Incidence of chronic post surgical pain (time frame: 3 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 Jun 2026.