Effect of Stellate Ganglion Block on New Atrial Fibrillation After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Post-operative new-onset atrial fibrillation (POAF) is one of the most common arrhythmias in adults after direct intracardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation. The incidence of POAF in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is approximately 30%. POAF can lead to an increased risk of complications such as stroke, heart failure, and acute kidney injury, which not only prolongs the patient's hospital stay, but also increases hospital costs and mortality. operation, extracorporeal circulation, and the patient's underlying conditions (such as age, gender, hypertension, and diabetes), which cause sympathetic activation, inflammatory response, and myocardial ischemia in the organism. The stellate ganglion block (SGB) regulates the sympathetic tone of the innervated nerves and thus the autonomic function of the body. SGB can effectively regulate the sympathetic-parasympathetic imbalance. Also, SGB may exert some anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, ultrasound-guided SGB was used in CABG patients to investigate its effect on the occurrence of POAF.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Stellate Ganglion Block
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Stellate nerve block

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 108
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Jiangsu
    • Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
      • the Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients undergoing first-time and elective coronary artery bypass grafting;
• ASA grade II-IV；
• The preoperative ECG showed sinus heart rate.

Exclusion Criteria:

• The patient refused to participate in this study;
• Surgical procedures include any other type of heart surgery in addition to CABG；
• Allergic to known general anesthesia drugs;
• Patients with a history of neck surgery or abnormal neck anatomy;
• Patients with contraindications to SGB.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Left stellate ganglion block; Left stellate ganglion block under ultrasound guidance was administered with 0.375% Ropivacaine hydrochloride 5 ml	Procedure: Stellate nerve block; Before the operation, the left stellate ganglion block was performed, and 0.375% ropivacaine 5ml was injected into the stellate ganglion.
No Intervention: Control; do nothing

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The occurrence of new atrial fibrillation was detected by ECG monitoring	ECG monitor shows atrial fibrillation. To be specific: 1)Irregular R-R interval (when atrioventricular conduction is present), 2) P wave disappearance, 3) irregular atrial activity.	Within 5 days after surgery

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
postoperative adverse reactions	Record the occurrence of adverse reactions postoperative	From date of randomization until the date of first documented progression or date of death from any cause, whichever came first, assessed up to 100 months
Changes of intraoperative Left ventricular diastolic function	Left ventricular diastolic function were measured by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)	T1 (after sternotomy and before CPB) and T2 (30 minute after CPB cessation).
AF burden	The percentage of the time during which atrial fibrillation occurs in the overall recorded time.	within 5 days after surgery
Duration of the first episode of POAF	The duration from the onset to the resolution of the first atrial fibrillation after surgery.	within 5 days after surgery
Need for Antiarrhythmic treatments	Record the types of medications used and whether electrical cardioversion has been used.	within 5 days after the operation
the concentration of interleukin-6	Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an important cytokine that plays a key role in immune responses, inflammation, and tumor development.	end of surgery, 24 hour postoperatively, 72hour postoperatively, 5 day postoperatively
the concentration of CRP	C-reactive protein (CRP) is a protein produced by the liver that is mainly used to indicate the presence of inflammation in the body.	end of surgery,24 hour postoperatively ,72 hour postoperatively ,5 day postoperatively
the concentration of Hs-cTnT	hs-cTnT is an important biomarker used for detecting cardiac injury.	end of surgery, 24hour postoperatively, 72hour postoperatively
the concentration of CK-MB	CK-MB is an enzyme primarily found in cardiac muscle cells. Its concentration is commonly used to assess cardiac damage, especially in the case of myocardial infarction	end of surgery, 24hour postoperatively, 72hour postoperatively

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Yangzhou University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 10, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 1, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): July 6, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 22, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 18, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Cardiovascular Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Neoplasms; Heart Diseases; Connective Tissue Diseases; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Cysts; Mucinoses; Atrial Fibrillation; Ganglion Cysts; Synovial Cyst
• Other Study ID Numbers: 20230609

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No