Induced ischemic cardiac arrest. Clinical and experimental results with magnesium-aspartate-procaine solution (Cardioplegin).

The risk of open heart surgery can be lowered by combination of different methods of myocardial protection. 1. Cardioplegia with a potassium free Mg-1-aspartate and Procaine-solution (Cardioplegin). 2. Coronary perfusion after ischemia longer than 35-40 minutes in case of excessive left ventricular hypertrophy or failure. 3. Hypothermia. Surface cooling gives an additional safety if coronary perfusion is not ideal possible in case of multiple coronary stenoses. For patients with this dispositions a continuous coronary perfusion with cardioplegic solution might be advisable, as it was presented by Gercken in his paper. This method was used three times already in human, but is still in an experimental stage.