Cardioplegia retrógrada atrial: estudo clínico

This study presents the results in a group of fifteen patients submitted to cardiac surgery, using continuous atrial retrograde warm blood cardioplegia for myocardial protection. Eleven patients were submitted to myocardial revascularization and four were submitted to valvular transplantation. There was no need for inotropic drugs or intraaortic balloon pump support during or after the procedure, and no myocardial infarction was detected in this group. When the heart was arrested, the cardioplegia line was switched to the atrial cannula. The aortic root was vented throughout the cross-clamp period, and retrograde perfusion was assured by noting the engorged exygenated cardiac veins as well as the return of dark blood through the vent in the aortic root. The patients presented good clinical and laboratory course. No right ventricular dysfunction was detected. Two patients were in atrial fibrillation before the surgery, one of them returned to this cardiac rhythm three days after the procedure.