[Myocardial protection in surgery of the arrested open heart (author's transl)]

The authors report on their experience concerning myocardial protection during open heart surgery making use of hypothermic cardioplegia. From September 1977 to April 1980 they operated on 637 patients applying this method. 155 cases were evaluated. Hypothermic cardioplegia extends the tolerance of the myocardium to ischaemia. Its main field of application is surgery of the coronary arteries.