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Vocal Cord Paralysis, BilateralBVCP-BiPAPNCT07042971

Peri-operative BiPAP to Prevent Tracheostomy in High-Risk Bilateral Vocal-Cord Paralysis (BVCP)

A study testing Pre-operative BiPAP Training, Post-extubation BiPAP Support and Standard Peri-operative Care in people with Vocal Cord Paralysis, Bilateral and Airway Obstruction, Postoperative, run by Fujian Medical University at 1 site in China.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Why: After thyroid or neck surgery, some patients can lose movement of both vocal cords (bilateral vocal-cord paralysis, BVCP). This can make breathing difficult and often leads to an emergency or preventive tracheostomy ("wind-pipe") surgery. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 80 years
What is being tested?
Pre-operative BiPAP Training, Post-extubation BiPAP Support and Standard Peri-operative Care
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
204 participants
Where
1 siteChina
Study dates
1 Jul 2025to 31 Dec 2029
Phase
Interventional
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 to 80 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age 18 - 80 years.
  • Scheduled for thyroidectomy or other neck surgery under general anesthesia.
  • High risk of bilateral vocal-cord paralysis (BVCP) defined by at least ONE of:
  • Pre-operative flexible laryngoscopy showing fixed vocal cords at midline or paramedian position, or glottic gap ≤ 3 mm; OR
  • Presence of ≥ 2 high-risk factors:
  • Planned bilateral central plus lateral neck dissection
Show all 11Show fewer
  • Re-operative bilateral neck surgery or dense scarring
  • Tumor involving both recurrent laryngeal nerves or crico-arytenoid joints
  • Severe obstructive sleep apnea (AHI ≥ 30 events/hour)
  • Body-mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m²
  • Able to tolerate and give informed consent for BiPAP mask use.

Who cannot join

  • Emergency surgery or need for immediate tracheostomy.
  • Existing tracheostomy or home ventilator dependence.
  • Inability to protect airway (e.g., Glasgow Coma Scale < 13).
  • Craniofacial anomaly or skin condition precluding mask seal.
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
  • Participation in another interventional trial that could interfere with study endpoints.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

China1 site
  • Fujian Medical University Union Hospital

    Fuzhou, FJ, 350001

Other trials in China

About this study

Official title: A Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial of Pre-operative BiPAP Training and Post-extubation BiPAP Support to Reduce Peri-operative Tracheostomy or Re-intubation in Patients at High Risk for Bilateral Vocal-Cord Paralysis

Why: After thyroid or neck surgery, some patients can lose movement of both vocal cords (bilateral vocal-cord paralysis, BVCP). This can make breathing difficult and often leads to an emergency or preventive tracheostomy ("wind-pipe") surgery.

What: This study will test two simple ways to avoid a tracheostomy:

Read more

Pre-operative BiPAP sleep training - patients practice sleeping with a non-invasive BiPAP breathing machine for seven nights before surgery so they become comfortable with the mask and pressures.

Immediate post-extubation BiPAP support - the same BiPAP machine is started as soon as the breathing tube is removed in the operating room or recovery area.

How: Adults (18-80 years) who already have, or are at high risk of getting, BVCP will be randomly assigned to one of four groups in a 2 × 2 design:

  • Group 1: training + post-op BiPAP • Group 2: training only • Group 3: post-op BiPAP only • Group 4: standard care (no planned BiPAP).

Main goal: To find out whether either or both BiPAP strategies reduce the need for tracheostomy or re-intubation during the first 7 days after surgery.

What participants do: Eligible patients will undergo routine surgery plus the assigned BiPAP plan. Breathing events, comfort, hospital stay, and voice quality will be recorded up to 6 months.

Potential benefit/risk: BiPAP is non-invasive and already FDA-cleared for home and hospital use, but some people may feel mask discomfort or air leaks. Trained staff will adjust settings and stop BiPAP if serious problems occur.

Read the detailed description

Background and Rationale Bilateral vocal-cord paralysis (BVCP) after thyroid and neck procedures poses an immediate risk of airway obstruction. Historical management favors prophylactic or rescue tracheostomy; however, tracheostomy carries morbidity, cost, and long-term stigma. Case series suggest that non-invasive ventilation (NIV) using BiPAP can stent the glottic opening while providing ventilatory support, but no prospective randomized data exist.

Objectives Primary: Compare the 7-day composite rate of (a) tracheostomy or (b) re-intubation among patients managed with (i) pre-operative BiPAP training, (ii) immediate post-extubation BiPAP, both, or neither.

Secondary: BiPAP usage hours, hypoxemic events, ICU/hospital length of stay, Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) and Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) scores, normalized glottic area (NGA %) at 6 months, cost.

Study Design Multicenter, open-label, factorial (2 × 2) randomized controlled trial. Randomization (block size = 4) stratified by center. Total planned enrollment: 204 (to allow for 10 % attrition), yielding ~46 evaluable participants per arm.

Interventions Pre-operative BiPAP training: nightly ≥ 4 h for 7 consecutive nights, pressure ladder EPAP 6 → 8 cmH₂O / IPAP 12 → 16 cmH₂O, recorded on SD-card.

Post-extubation BiPAP: same machine and pressures applied immediately after extubation and continued ≥ 48 h or until patient maintains SpO₂ ≥ 94 % for 24 h without BiPAP.

Standard care includes oxygen, nebulization, steroids, and surgical airway if necessary.

Eligibility (key points) Inclusion: age 18-80; scheduled thyroid/neck surgery; pre-op fixed cords at midline/paramedian or glottic gap ≤ 3 mm OR ≥ 2 high-risk factors (bilateral neck re-entry, tumor near both RLNs, bilateral C + L lymph-node dissection, severe OSA AHI ≥ 30, BMI ≥ 30).

Exclusion: emergency surgery, existing tracheostomy, ventilator dependence, mask intolerance, pregnancy, inability to consent.

Outcomes and Assessments

  • Airway status monitored continuously POD 0-2, then daily to POD 7.
  • ABG, pulse oximetry, and flexible laryngoscopy performed per protocol schedule.
  • Adverse events graded by CTCAE v5.0; DSMB halting rule: ≥ 3 grade 3 airway failures in any arm.

Statistical Methods Intention-to-treat for primary endpoint. Log-binomial regression with center as random effect to estimate risk ratios for each main effect and their interaction. Kaplan-Meier curves for "tracheostomy-free survival." Interim analysis at 50 % information using O'Brien-Fleming alpha-spending.

Regulatory Status Devices (ResMed AirCurve 10 ST; Philips A40) are FDA-cleared class II ventilators (510(k)); IRB classified study as non-significant-risk device research exempt from IDE under 21 CFR 812.2(b).

Data Sharing De-identified individual participant data and statistical code will be shared upon reasonable request 6 months after final publication.

Being tested
Pre-operative BiPAP Training, Post-extubation BiPAP Support, Standard Peri-operative Care
Keywords
BiPAP, Non-invasive Ventilation, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, Peri-operative Airway Management, Tracheostomy Avoidance, Thyroidectomy, Neck Surgery, Glottic Stenosis, Pre-operative Sleep Training, Voice Handicap Index
Medical subject headings
Vocal Cord Paralysis, Airway Obstruction, Thyroid Neoplasms, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Pre-operative BiPAP TrainingDevice

    Seven consecutive nights (≥ 4 h/night) of BiPAP use at home or on ward, pressure ladder EPAP 6→8 cmH₂O / IPAP 12→16 cmH₂O, recorded on SD card; devices: ResMed AirCurve 10 ST or Philips A40.

  • Post-extubation BiPAP SupportDevice

    Same BiPAP device started immediately after tracheal extubation; EPAP 8 cmH₂O / IPAP 14 cmH₂O (or patient's final training setting) maintained ≥ 48 h, then weaned when SpO₂ ≥ 94 % off-BiPAP for 24 h.

  • Standard Peri-operative CareOther

    Routine oxygen, nebulized steroids, airway monitoring; rescue re-intubation or tracheostomy per institutional protocol; no planned BiPAP unless crossover criteria met.

Study groups in NCT07042971
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Training + Post-op BiPAPExperimentalParticipants receive 7-day Pre-operative BiPAP Training and Post-extubation BiPAP Support for ≥ 48 h after surgery.
Receives: Device: Post-extubation BiPAP Support; Other: Standard Peri-operative Care
Training OnlyExperimentalParticipants receive 7-day Pre-operative BiPAP Training. No routine BiPAP after extubation; peri-operative care otherwise standard.
Receives: Other: Standard Peri-operative Care
Post-op BiPAP OnlyExperimentalNo pre-op training. BiPAP started immediately after extubation and continued ≥ 48 h.
Receives: Device: Pre-operative BiPAP Training; Device: Post-extubation BiPAP Support
Standard CareActive comparatorNo planned BiPAP. Airway managed with institutional standard care only.
Receives: Device: Pre-operative BiPAP Training; Other: Standard Peri-operative Care

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Composite "Airway Failure" (Tracheostomy OR Re-intubation)

    Post-operative Day 0 through Day 7

    Measured: The first occurrence of (a) surgical tracheostomy or (b) endotracheal re-intubation for respiratory distress within 7 days after extubation. Event status adjudicated by an independent investigator using pre-defined criteria.

Secondary outcomes (5)
  1. Total BiPAP Usage Hours

    Sum of hours recorded by device SD-card while patient is connected to BiPAP during the first 48 h after extubation.

    Measured: Post-op Day 0 to Day 2 (48 hours)

  2. Hypoxemic Episodes (SpO₂ < 90 % ≥ 3 min)

    Number of discrete desaturation events captured by continuous pulse oximetry logs.

    Measured: Post-op Day 0 to Day 2

  3. ICU Length of Stay

    Hours from ICU admission to ICU discharge documented in EMR.

    Measured: Surgery end → ICU discharge (up to 7 days)

  4. Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10)

    Patient-reported outcome; total score 0-40 (higher = worse voice handicap).

    Measured: 6 months (±14 days) post-op

  5. Normalized Glottic Area (NGA %)

    Percentage of glottic opening area measured on flexible laryngoscopy and normalized to true-vocal-fold length.

    Measured: Baseline pre-op and 6 months post-op

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted29 Jun 2025
  2. Study start1 Jul 2025 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion1 Jul 2028 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 Dec 2029 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Diagnosis
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Factorial
Model description
Two-by-two factorial randomized controlled trial testing the independent and combined effects of (A) 7-day pre-operative BiPAP training and (B) immediate post-extubation BiPAP support.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
204 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07042971
Sponsor's protocol ID
BVCP-BiPAP
Acronym
BVCP-BiPAP
Status last verified
Jun 2025
First submitted
21 Jun 2025
Last updated
29 Jun 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
Yes
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Pre-operative BiPAP Training, Post-extubation BiPAP Support and Standard Peri-operative Care in people with Vocal Cord Paralysis, Bilateral and Airway Obstruction, Postoperative, run by Fujian Medical University at 1 site in China.

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 11 inclusion and 6 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Jun 2025. 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 China. 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 Bo WANG, MD (+8613959123550, wangbo@fjmu.edu.cn), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Composite "Airway Failure" (Tracheostomy OR Re-intubation) (time frame: The first occurrence of (a) surgical tracheostomy or (b) endotracheal re-intubation for respiratory distress within 7 days after extubation. Event status adjudicated by an independent investigator using pre-defined criteria.). 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 29 Jun 2025.

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