Cerebral protection: sites of arterial cannulation and brain perfusion routes.

Brain perfusion for adequate cerebral protection has changed over the years. The limitations of the time during total circulatory arrest with deep hypotermia, the inefficient cerebral metabolism during retrograde perfusion and special care to prevent cerebral embolism during antegrade perfusion have resulted in the development of different methods of cerebral protection during the evolution of aortic arch operations. Antegrade cerebral perfusion associated with moderate hypothermia is today, considered the best option for cerebral protection.