Prevention of air embolism with intravascular carbon dioxide washout.

Air embolism remains a constant hazard from all operative procedures which involve opening the central cardiovascular system. Standard surgical maneuvers have been developed to prevent embolization by evacuating the air before restoring the circulation. Under certain circumstances these maneuvers may not be effective in removing air from the aortic arch. Introduction of carbon dioxide directly into the aorta to displace blood for adequate visualization has proved to be a simple, safe adjunct to the prevention of air embolization in operations involving the aortic arch.