Microplegia versus Cardioplexol® in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery with Minimal Extracorporeal Circulation:

Luca Koechlin1, Bejtush Rrahmani1, Brigitta Gahl1

  • 1Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.

Abstract

Insights

The Basel Microplegia Protocol, combined with minimal extracorporeal circulation, demonstrated superior myocardial protection during coronary artery bypass grafting compared to Cardioplexol®. This resulted in lower cardiac enzyme levels and reduced intensive care unit stays.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Surgery
  • Cardioprotection
  • Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery

Background:

  • Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) often utilizes cardiopulmonary bypass with cardioplegia for myocardial protection.
  • Minimal extracorporeal circulation (MECC) aims to reduce the systemic inflammatory response and complications associated with traditional cardiopulmonary bypass.
  • Assessing novel cardioplegia solutions within MECC is crucial for optimizing surgical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the efficacy and safety of the Basel Microplegia Protocol (BMP) combined with MECC against Cardioplexol® in CABG procedures.
  • To evaluate myocardial injury markers and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing CABG with these two cardioplegia strategies.

Main Methods:

  • A propensity score-matched analysis was conducted on patients undergoing CABG using MECC.
  • Patients received either the BMP or Cardioplexol® for myocardial protection.
  • Primary efficacy endpoints included high-sensitivity cardiac troponin-T (hs-cTnT) and peak creatine kinase-myocardial type (CK-MB) levels.
  • Secondary endpoints included safety events and length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay.

Main Results:

  • The BMP group (n=56) showed significantly lower peak hs-cTnT (233 vs. 362 ng/L, p=0.001) and CK-MB (13.8 vs. 21.6 µg/L, p=0.026) compared to the Cardioplexol® group (n=155).
  • Creatine kinase levels were also significantly lower in the BMP group (539 vs. 719 U/L, p=0.011).
  • Patients receiving BMP had a shorter ICU length of stay (1.5 vs. 1.9 days, p=0.011).
  • Major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events occurred with similar frequency (1.8% vs. 5.2%, p=0.331).

Conclusions:

  • The Basel Microplegia Protocol, when used with minimal extracorporeal circulation in CABG, offers superior myocardial protection compared to Cardioplexol®.
  • This improved protection is evidenced by reduced cardiac biomarker release and a shorter ICU stay.
  • BMP represents a potentially advantageous cardioplegia strategy for CABG patients undergoing MECC.

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