Myocardial Protection During Aortic Valve Replacement: Comparison Between Sanguineous and Asanguineous Cardioplegic Solutions

Abstract

Myocardial substrate metabolism and enzyme release following hypothermic potassium cardioplegia were studied in two series of patients undergoing isolated aortic valve replacement. In 15 patients blood was used as cardioplegia vehicle (blood cardioplegia group) and a plain electrolyte solution was used in a control group of 17 patients. Simultaneous blood samples were drawn from arterial and coronary sinus blood before and during the first 60 min after release of aortic cross-clamping. Blood samples were analysed for PO₂, O₂-saturation and content, PCO₂, pH, lactate, pyruvate, glucose, potassium, myoglobin, creatine kinase (CK), its isoenzyme MB and aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT). In addition, myoglobin and enzymes were followed in peripheral venous blood for 48 hours. The pattern of metabolic changes after cardioplegia was similar in both groups, but some differences were encountered in the degree of the changes in potassium, myoglobin and CK-MB between the groups. The differences were nevertheless small and cell damage was probably of reversible nature in all patients, but the myocardial protection afforded by single dose blood cardioplegia was not unquestionably better than that of the control group.