Cardioplegic cardiac arrest in aortic surgery.

Cardioplegia according to Bretschneider is able to protect the myocardium during long periods of cardiac arrest and a quiet relaxed heart has in many cases of congenital heart disease been of great surgical advantage. In the last 100 consecutive aortic valve replacements in cardioplegic arrest we have lost 6 patients and none of the deaths seems to be related to the method. In our hands it has been superior to coronary perfusion.