Ultrasound Destruction of Air Microemboli as a Novel Approach to Brain Protection in Cardiac Surgery

The relationship between neurocognitive decline and the heart‐lung machine

“…Studies have shown that cardiac surgery predisposes an individual to showers of emboli reaching the brain. While much of this occurs during cannulation and aortic clamping and thus may not be attributable to CPB, 3 extracorporeal circulation itself is prone to the development of air emboli that can also cause brain injuries 4 . On‐pump surgeries may involve prolonged periods of hypoperfusion, further increasing patients’ risk of cerebral ischemia 1 .…”

“…While much of this occurs during cannulation and aortic clamping and thus may not be attributable to CPB, 3 extracorporeal circulation itself is prone to the development of air emboli that can also cause brain injuries. 4 On-pump surgeries may involve prolonged periods of hypoperfusion, further increasing patients' risk of cerebral ischemia. 1 Such microembolic and hypoperfusive events contribute to the increased risk of stroke following procedures that use CPB.…”