[Open-heart surgery in tropical Africa. Results and peculiar problems of the 1st 300 cases of extracorporeal circulation performed in Abidjan].

The authors report on their experience of 300 open-heart operations performed in Abidjan for cardiac valve disease (149 cases), congenital cardiopathy (100 cases), endomyocardial fibrosis (40 cases) and other lesions. The operational method involved haemodilution, hypothermia, aortic clamping and cardioplegia. The death rate was 13.3%, mostly due to the severity of the condition prior to surgery. A number of specific points are discussed, including haemodilution without blood perfusions, surgery in patients with sickle-cell anaemia, cardiac valve surgery in children and surgery of endomyocardial fibrosis.