Antegrade and retrograde cardioplegia: alternate or simultaneous?

Neither antegrade nor retrograde cardioplegic protection provides homogeneous distribution, and a combination may be required to avoid anaerobic metabolism and depressed postoperative ventricular function. Tepid cardioplegia (29 degrees C) avoids the delayed recovery of cardiac function and metabolism associated with cold cardioplegia (15 degrees C) and reduces the anaerobic metabolism seen with warm (37 degrees C) cardioplegia. We compared two techniques that combine antegrade and retrograde tepid cardioplegia: alternate and simultaneous.

Sixty patients undergoing elective isolated coronary artery bypass grafting were randomized to receive near continuous tepid retrograde and either intermittent antegrade cardioplegia (the alternate technique) or antegrade cardioplegia with the solution delivered concurrently through each completed vein graft (the simultaneous technique).

Myocardial lactate extraction was greater after crossclamp release following simultaneous than alternate cardioplegia. Postoperative ventricular function was better after alternate than simultaneous cardioplegia.

Both techniques permitted rapid postoperative recovery of myocardial metabolism and ventricular function. However, simultaneous cardioplegia was simpler and did not require deairing the aortic root between antegrade infusions.