Effect of preoperative intravenous administration of iron in patients with mild anemia undergoing arterial vascular surgery.

Perioperative anemia is common in cardiac and non-cardiac surgery and associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications. Mild anemia not only leads to a reduction in the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood, leading to a suboptimal physical condition of the patient, but is also potentially associated with changes in the microcirculatory perfusion and perioperative hemostasis. In the present study we therefore aim to investigate whether treatment of patients undergoing vascular surgery with mild anemia using intravenous iron improves overall physical fitness, microcirculation perfusion and perioperative hemostasis compared to untreated patients.

Treatment with intravenous ferric carboxymaltose improves exercise tolerance, microvascular perfusion, perioperative hemostasis and tissue oxygenation in patients with mild anemia undergoing vascular surgery.

- Bike ergometry and NIRS (tissue oxygenation) :2x: Before therapy, before surgery

- Microcirculation:7x: Microvascular perfusion will be measured before the study intervention, the day before surgery, at the beginning and end of surgery and at three time points after surgery (24 hours, 48 hours and one month following surgery).

- Blood sampling:7x: Blood will be drawn before the study intervention, before surgery, after anesthesia induction, at the end of surgery and at three time points after surgery (24 hours, 48 hours and one month following surgery (7 x 8 ml = 56 ml). During and after surgery, blood will be drawn from an existing intravascular catheter.

Ferric carboxymaltose group: Maximum dosage per week: 1000 mg bolus ferric carboxymaltose in 15 minutes. Body weight < 70 kg: 1 bolus of 1000 mg (20 ml). Body weight ¡Ý 70 kg 1 bolus of 1000 mg, one week later 1 bolus of 500 mg (10 ml).
Placebo group: In the placebo group we will administer saline instead of ferric carboxymaltose. Body weight < 70 kg: 1 bolus of 20 ml saline. Body weight ¡Ý 70 kg: 1 bolus of 20 ml, one week later 1 bolus of 10 ml.