Regional myocardial blood flow after hypothermic arrest and cardioplegia.

Malperfusion due to increased coronary vascular resistance is presumably one of the factors responsible for incomplete functional recovery of the heart after aortic cross-clamping. Myocaridal blood flow (MBF, radioactive microspheres) was measured before and after 60 min of hypothermic ischemia in 16 dogs on cardiopulmonary bypass. After ischemia the hearts were reperfused for 30 min. MBF was measured in the empty beating heart and in the isovolumetrically contracting ventricle loaded with enddiastolic volumes (EDV) of 10, 20 and 30 ml (intraventricular latex balloon).