Myocardial protection

Early studies of myocardial protection were designed to minimize ischemic injury. The next class and generation of investigations will most likely be designed to accelerate recovery following known myocardial injury. Such techniques will play an important role in allowing operations on acutely injured and ischemic myocardium and will be important in the treatment of postischemic injury when such injury occurs during the course of complex cardiac operations. Surgical aspects of myocardial metabolism are still rudimentary and many empiric observations require further exploration into the mechanisms by which such applications work.