Continuous warm blood cardioplegia pitfalls and solutions.
BACKGROUND
Continuous warm blood cardioplegia offers superior preservation in both routine and complicated cardiac cases. Management of continuous perfusion is an important task during each case.


METHODS
The authors have developed several specific techniques to ensure stable catheter insertion and placement for continuous coronary sinus or antegrade ostial perfusion.


RESULTS
Over 3,800 patients have been operated on with continuous warm blood cardioplegia using catheter techniques as described in this article. The overall 30-day mortality was 3.9%.


CONCLUSIONS
Safe application of continuous warm blood cardioplegia has many advantages over prior cold techniques, but surgeons must know certain technical modifications to be able to universally apply continuous techniques safely.
Department of Cardiac Surgery, Centre Cardiologique du Nord (CCN), Saint Denis, France. grescigno@aol.com
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G
Rescigno
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Nataf
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Raffoul
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Ramadan
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Scorsin
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Lessana
D001769:Blood; D002314:Cardioplegic Solutions; D005260:Female; D006324:Heart Arrest, Induced / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002314:Cardioplegic Solutions