title: Warm blood cardioplegia for patients undergoing revascularization for left main coronary artery disease.
abstract: Between February 1991 and June 1992, 62 patients (50 males) underwent coronary artery bypass (CAB) operation for significant left main coronary artery disease. Age varied between 47 and 81 years. 53 patients had unstable angina, 16 had recent myocardial infarction, and 16 had heart failure. 22 patients were in functional capacity class IV (Canadian Heart Association) and 2 patients were in unstable hemodynamical condition before the operation. Intraaortic balloon pump was inserted before the operation in 3 patients. Six patients had previous CAB surgery. All the patients were operated using myocardial protection with warm blood cardioplegia, given antegradely and retrogradely in 58 and only antegradely in 4 patients. Body temperature was maintained at 30 +/- 1.8 degrees C. Number of distal anastomoses averaged 4.3 +/- 0.9. One patient underwent additional resection of a left atrial myxoma and another aortic valve replacement. LIMA (left internal mammary artery) was used to bypass the LAD in 58 (94%) patients. Early mortality was 3 cases (4.8%). Major and minor postoperative complications occurred in 17 patients. These data suggest that warm blood cardioplegia provides superior myocardial protection in patients with left main coronary artery disease.
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Deviri
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arbell
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Glick
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deeb
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yizhar
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grunfeld
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Milgalter
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Drenger
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gozal
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shimon
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001831:Body Temperature; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006324:Heart Arrest, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies