The interval time for the St. Thomas cardioplegia solution in mitral valve surgeries

Abstract

Background: There is a lack of consensus on the appropriate St. Thomas cardioplegia solution interval for cardiac surgeries. The objective of this study was to determine a safe cardioplegia interval. Method: A total of 340 patients who underwent mitral valve surgery with St. Thomas solution were assessed and divided into 2 groups according to the average cardioplegia interval. In Group A, the average cardioplegia interval was < 0.001). According to the threshold effect analysis, the interval needs to be above 27.6 min before it is associated with an increased risk of CK-MB mass level, and the interval needs to be above 31 min before it is associated with an increased risk of CK-MB mass level 7 h after surgery. There were no other significant differences between the two groups. Conclusions: The multidose cardioplegia interval above 30 min during mitral valve surgery is associated with a greater risk of myocardial damage. The relationships between the cardioplegia interval and other myocardial markers require further research.