HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Beyersdorf, F. Articles by Satter, P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Beyersdorf, F. Articles by Satter, P.

Ann Thorac Surg 1980;30:356-363
© 1980 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

---

Articles

Determination of Maximal Ischemic Tolerance of the Human Heart by Ultrastructural Recording of Preischemic Degree of Myocardial Hypertrophy and Degeneration

From the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt (M), West Germany

Accepted for publication March 18, 1980.

^* Address reprint requests to Dr. Beyersdorf, Zentrum der Chirurgie, Klinikum der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 6000 Frankfurt am Main 70, West Germany

Three biopsies were taken transmurally in different time intervals (before and after ischemia and during the reperfusion phase) from 20 patients undergoing open-heart operation for acquired valvular heart disease, and the myocardial cylinders were examined with the electron microscope. They were scrutinized to see if there is a relationship between the degree of hypertrophy and degeneration before ischemia and the extent of ischemic damage after a certain ischemia period, and between the damage before ischemia and the postoperative outcome of the patients.

Our results show that the ischemic changes are not dependent on the preischemic extent of hypertrophy and degeneration. It seems that they are mainly dependent on the duration of ischemia because the degree of ischemic damage increases with prolongation of the ischemia interval. However, a good correlation was found between the preischemic changes and the postoperative outcome. Especially the combination of marked hypertrophy and the appearance of degenerative signs in the biopsy taken before ischemia seems to predestine a bad postoperative course. Therefore, it can be concluded that the total damage to the myocardial cells, which results from the sum of previous damage (hypertrophy and degeneration) and ischemic alterations, is responsible for the postoperative outcome.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M.-S. Suleiman, M. Hancock, R. Shukla, C. Rajakaruna, and G. Angelini Cardioplegic strategies to protect the hypertrophic heart during cardiac surgery Perfusion, September 1, 2011; 26(1_suppl): 48 - 56. [Abstract] [PDF]