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Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1983; 31(5): 273-276
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-1021995
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Aortic Cross-clamping for More than 2 Hours in Open-heart Surgery. Early Results in 87 Patients

E. Berglin W-O, K. Feddersen, P. Gatzinsky, B. Röhsman, I. Wallentin, G. William-Olsson
  • Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Anesthesia III, and Department of Clinical Physiology, Sahlgren's Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
Further Information

Publication History

1983

Publication Date:
19 March 2008 (online)

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Summary

Myocardial protection with cold cardioplegia has made it possible to prolong the time of aortic cross-clamping during openheart surgery. Myocardial ischemia for up to 120 minutes is considered acceptable under these conditions. Eighty-seven patients operated upon for various heart lesions with cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamping for more than 2 hours (mean time 146 minutes) were reviewed. Myocardial protection was achieved with cold cardioplegia, in some cases with additional topical cooling of the heart. Ten patients died and 77 were discharged from the hospital. Perioperative and early postoperative deaths could not be correlated to aortic cross-clamping time or the method of myocardial protection. Aortic cross-clamping can be safely performed for a period far longer than 2 hours with myocardial preservation by cold cardioplegia.

Key words

Cardioplegia - Heart function - Myocardial ischemia - Open-heart surgery

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