Effect of reperfusion in acute ischemia and infarction

Physiologic concepts relating to reperfusion of ischemic areas of myocardium may be applied both to acute coronary insuficiency, manifested by angina pectoris, and to restoration of coronary blood flow by coronary bypass procedures, currently employed both in acute myocardial infarction and in chronic myocardial ischemia for relief of angina pectoris. Of the information currently available from experimental studies, much may be applicable to the clinical situation. After acutr transient coronary occlusion mechanical and electrical properties of the ischemic area rapidly return to normal, but there is prolongation of tension development and occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias; implications of these phenomena for clinical coronary ischemia deserve exploration. Following more prolonged coronary ischemia, results of experimental reperfusion appear to be variable and, although restoration of function following several hours of ischemia is possible, certain deleterious effects are often observed in the form of myocardial edema and hemorrhage. Clinical use of bypass procedures in acute myocardial infarction suggests that results may be good, but that deleterious effects are occasionally observed; occurrence of the later requires definition and explanation. Restoration of myocardial blood flow in the presence of normal left ventricular function in chronic coronary artery disease, and failure to reverse functional abnormalities when left ventricular damage has already ensued in the clinical situation, appears to be well established; however, better methods to assess the potential for recovery of function following revascularization are needed in both acute and chronic coronary artery diseases. It is anticipated that more careful exploration of pathophysiology both in the catheterization laboratory and in the operating room may aid this process.