A Comparison of Two Anaesthetic Methods of Protecting Heart Tissue During Cardiac Surgery

Summary

To compare two different methods of protecting heart muscle from damage caused by a decreased blood supply. Exposure to the anaesthetic agent sevoflurane can allow the heart muscle to resist longer periods of low blood or oxygen supply without sustaining the amount of damage that it would otherwise expect to. The use of thoracic epidural analgesia improves the blood flow to the heart muscle and has also been shown to reduce the amount of damage the heart muscle may otherwise sustain. The aim of this study is to compare these two methods.

Timeline

Start

2006-01

Primary completion

—

Completion

2008-01

Publications

• Background Julier K, da Silva R, Garcia C, Bestmann L, Frascarolo P, Zollinger A, Chassot PG, Schmid ER, Turina MI, von Segesser LK, Pasch T, Spahn DR, Zaugg M. Preconditioning by sevoflurane decreases biochemical markers for myocardial and renal dysfunction in coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter study. Anesthesiology. 2003 Jun;98(6):1315-27. doi: 10.1097/00000542-200306000-00004.
• Background Berendes E, Schmidt C, Van Aken H, Hartlage MG, Wirtz S, Reinecke H, Rothenburger M, Scheld HH, Schluter B, Brodner G, Walter M. Reversible cardiac sympathectomy by high thoracic epidural anesthesia improves regional left ventricular function in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: a randomized trial. Arch Surg. 2003 Dec;138(12):1283-90; discussion 1291. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.138.12.1283.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.