The Effects of Retrograde Intermittent Cold Blood Cardioplegia for CABG Cases.

Abstract

Intermittent cold blood cardioplegia with retrograde coronary perfusion was demonstrated in 11 CABG cases and the effects of myocardial protections were compared with 11 cases of antegrade perfusion. We evaluated the effects from the assistant perfusion time after aortic declamping, the incidence of occurrence of spontaneous beating, the dose of catecholamin required after CPB, and the changes in myocardial enzyme values. The two groups were similar in age, ejection fractions, and the extent of coronary artery disease. There were no cases of death and no PMI in all 22 cases, and the mean number of grafts and aortic clamping time were similar in the two groups. Concerning the effects of myocardial protections, there were no significant differences in any items in the two groups. We conclude that intermittent cold blood cardioplegia with retrograde coronary perfusion provides the same myocardial protective effects as the antegrade perfusion in CABG cases.