Endocavital cooling in intraoperative myocardial protection during extracorporeal circulation.

The possible protective effect of endocavital cooling with a balloon left ventricular vent was studied by post cross clamp time rhythm, ECG, DC shock need, dynamics of temperature changes in the interventricular septum, and positive inotropic support requirement in 60 extracorporeal operations (18 aortic valve replacement, 26 aortocoronary bypass and 16 combined procedures) performed by the same team of surgeons with an identical technique and anaesthetic protocol. The results were compared to the data of 60 similar procedures carried out earlier by the same team but without the balloon technique. We conclude that endocavital cooling may have certain additive effects to chemical cardioplegia, especially in cases with left ventricular hypertrophy, multiple coronary stenoses, and in combined procedures.