Inflammatory and metabolic response of the myocardium during aortic valve surgery on the beating heart.

This study has been conducted in an effort to establish metabolic and inflammatory responses of the myocardium during aortic valve surgery on the beating heart with CPB and continuous coronary sinus perfusion with normothermic blood. Twenty patients, divided into two groups, participated in this study. Conventional aortic valvular operations were performed on first 10 patients, while the second group, consisting of 10 patients as well, was subjected to the operations with CPB on the beating heart with continuously perfusion with blood through coronary sinus. There were total of 14 biological and 6 mechanical valves implanted in aortic position. In this study, cardiac markers and inflammatory mediators IL-8 and TNF, were measured preoperatively and postoperatively. Metabolic changes were documented based on the levels of CK-MB, troponin I, myoglobin and LDH. Inflammatory factors we measured through IL-8 and TNF. All measurements were taken in 6 hour intervals during the initial 48 hours following the operations. The patients of "the beating heart" group had significantly lower dose of markers and cytokines in comparison to those who had undergone the conventional valvular operation. The elimination of the adverse effects of global ischemia produced from reperfusion injury and the similarity to the physiological condition, suggests that the revival of the beating heart procedure is more reasonable. This procedure of valvular surgery on the beating heart can be one of the good surgical options for the high-risk valvular patients.