Application of Del Nido cardioplegia solution during pediatric cardiac surgery

Abstract

For most congenital heart diseases, heart beating has to be stopped to allow surgical correction of cardiac deformity. Cardioplegia is one of the important methods of myocardial protection with the goals of stopping electromechanical activity, supplying metabolic substrates during hypothermia and lessening myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. In light of numerous differences between immature and mature myocardial tissues, selectingk an optimal cardioplegia solution is of vital importance. It is correlated with both operative success and postoperative rehabilitation. In recent years, composition and delivery method of cardioplegia solution have underwent constant improvements. Del Nido cardioplegia solution has been commonly applied at pediatric cardiac centers across the United States for almost two decades. It plays an important role of lowering the mortality and complications during pediatric cardiac surgery. And Del Nido cardioplegia has expanded successfully into adult cardiac centers over the last decade. However, its popularity has stayed low in China where Del Nido cardioplegia is reserved for pediatric cardiac surgery. So the application of Del Nido cardioplegia solution during pediatric candiac surgery was included in this article. Key words: Cardioplegic solution; Cardiac muscle cell; Myocardial preservation