Work

Myocardial protection during cardiac surgery: Scientific principles and practical recommendations

Year: 2026

Type: editorial

Abstract: Myocardial protection remains one of the most important determinants of outcome in cardiac surgery. The problem is deceptively simple: the heart must be rendered still and ischemic to permit repair, yet it must recover promptly and completely when coronary flow is restored. Despite decades of investigation, no single cardioplegic strategy has emerged as universally superior, and variation in practice remains wide. That variation is understandable. Myocardial protection is not a single intervention but a coordinated strategy involving electromechanical arrest, hypothermia, buffering, substrate management, route of delivery, and judgment about when protection is beginning to fail.

Source: JTCVS structural and endovascular.

DOI: 10.1016/j.xjse.2026.100126

Author: Pedro J. del Nido

Institutions: Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard University

Language: English

Topic: Cardiac and Coronary Surgery Techniques

Subfield: Surgery

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,500

OpenAlex ID: W7153871219

Cites: 14

Cited by:

Related to: 10