Remote Ischemic Preconditioning in Cardiac Surgery Trial

Main Research Questions: 1. Is a large trial of patients undergoing heart surgery comparing a simple procedure of temporarily stopping blood flow to the leg with a blood pressure cuff (called remote ischemic preconditioning) to a sham procedure possible? 2. Does the remote ischemic preconditioning procedure before heart surgery help protect the heart and kidneys? What is Being Studied: A simple procedure known as remote ischemic preconditioning. The procedure is performed by inflating a pressurized cuff the thigh to temporarily stop blood flow to the arm or leg. This procedure causes the body to have a stress response that, at the cellular level, may protect major organs like the heart and kidney from the damage caused to them by the much larger stress of cardiac surgery. Reducing this damage may improve patient's recovery after surgery and help them live longer. Why is this study important?: This research is important because up to 1 in every 20 patients that undergo heart surgery die before even leaving hospital. Preventing heart and kidney damage at the time of surgery with remote ischemic preconditioning may reduce patient deaths.