Can cutting nerves stop deadly heart rhythms in chagas patients?
NCT ID NCT04239144
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This pilot study tested a procedure called bilateral sympathectomy, which cuts certain nerves to the heart, in 45 Chagas disease patients with implantable defibrillators (ICDs) who had frequent dangerous heart rhythms. Participants were randomly assigned to receive the nerve-cutting procedure, standard medication, or catheter ablation. The goal was to see if the nerve procedure could reduce the number of heart rhythm episodes and improve quality of life.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
bilateral sympathectomy (nerve-cutting procedure via video-assisted thoracoscopy)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a new treatment option for controlling life-threatening heart rhythms in Chagas patients who don't respond to standard therapies.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study with only 45 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The procedure carries surgical risks, and it's unclear if it will outperform existing treatments.
Disclaimer
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Heart Institute of Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo
São Paulo, São Paulo, 05403-900, Brazil