CLINICAL STUDIES OF OXYGENATED CRYSTALLOID CARDIOPLEGIA

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of myocardial protection by oxygenated crystalloid cardioplegia, we investigated the recovery of cardiac function from the beginning of coronary reperfusion to the early postsurgical period after mitral valve replacement. Ten patients were set ected for this study excluding patients who had accompanying aortic valve disease or severe coronary artery disease. Five patients received oxygenated St. Thomas' Hospital solution and five recieved non-oxygenated St. Thomas' Hospital solution. At the beginning of reperfusion, hearts infused with the oxygenated crystalloid cardioplegic solution showed the good recovery of cardiac function, such as time to start the cardiac beat, the need of electric defibrillation, or pacemaker. The clinical evaluation could not be cleared but the five patients who received myocardial protection by using oxygenated cardioplegia showed higher cardiac index than the patients who received non-oxygenated cardioplegia.