Myocardial protection during aortic valve replacement.

Peri-operative myocardial damage during aortic valve replacement is evaluated by analysis of S-GOT and LDH in the early postoperative phase. Combining the mortality figures and enzyme changes postoperatively, it is demonstrated that the peri-operative myocardial damage is significantly lower in the group operated on under cold cardioplegia a.m. Bretschneider, than in the group operated on under normothermia or moderate hypothermia and induced ventricular fibrillation.