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Updated: Feb 7, 2026

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance for the Evaluation of Suspected Cardiac Thrombus: Conventional and Emerging Techniques
Published on: June 11, 2019
Levosimendan in Cardiac Surgery: Evaluating the Evidence
Shaji A Faisal1, David A Apatov1, Harish Ramakrishna2
1Department of Anesthesiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
Abstract:
Levosimendan, a calcium-sensitizing and Adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channel opening inodilator, has the potential to improve cardiac function without increasing oxygen consumption. The evidence supporting the use of levosimendan in the cardiac surgical perioperative period is not well-established. Recently, large-scale randomized controlled trials studying the utility of levosimendan in cardiac surgery have been conducted. This review examines the physiological and pharmacologic properties of levosimendan and evaluates the literature regarding the use of levosimendan in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
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