Plain-English translation of NCT04962646 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated · Translation generated · How we translate trials
This study doesn't follow the usual testing phases — it may be an observational study or a different type of research.
When the aorta (the main artery from your heart) suddenly tears, emergency surgery is needed. During this surgery, air can accidentally enter the blood vessels and travel to the brain, causing injury in about 1 in 5 patients. This trial tests whether flooding the surgical area with carbon dioxide gas can reduce this risk, since carbon dioxide dissolves into blood much more easily than air and may prevent these dangerous air bubbles from forming.
Brain injuries after emergency aortic surgery are a serious problem—they cause permanent disability in some patients and death in others. Carbon dioxide flooding has shown promise in other heart surgeries, but no one has studied whether it helps during emergency aortic dissection surgery.
You likely qualify if…
You likely don't qualify if…
You will receive emergency surgery to repair your aorta. During surgery, you will be randomly assigned to either receive carbon dioxide flooding in the surgical area or standard care without it. Your surgical team and research staff will be blinded (not know which group you're in) to reduce bias. After surgery, researchers will monitor you for brain injuries using brain imaging and other assessments.
AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 7, 2026 · Not medical advice
Sweden
Region Skane
Enrollment target
~80 participants
Started
January 2022
Primary completion
June 2025
This trial's estimated completion date has passed — the record may not be fully up to date.
Age range
18 Years and older
Last updated on clinicaltrials.gov in April 2025.
Reach out to the team running this trial. Response times vary — some teams are faster than others.
Central contact
Igor Zindovic, MD, PhD
Region Skåne, Skåne university hospital
Tell us you're interested and we'll help connect you with the research team. We'll walk you through what to expect first — no email needed to get started.