In open heart surgery, protection of the myocardium against injury by ischemia-reperfusion is an issue of utmost clinical interest. The knowledge on the causal mechanisms of myocardial injury in ischemia-reperfusion has greatly progressed in recent years, both to clinical and experimental research. This book provides a critical and comprehensive overview on the current discussion of myocardial protection in cardiac experimental research and surgery. Leading groups from Europe, the U.S. and Japan have contributed reviews of their special fields. On the basic science side, major topics discussed are the mechanisms of stunning and lethal reperfusion injury, the role of the endothelium and leukocyte activation in postischemic myocardial dysfunction, and the differences between the adult and neonatal myocardium. On the clinical side, the major concepts and procedures for cardioplegic myocardial protection, their rationales, application and respective merits are discussed. In a third part of the book, possible approaches for the monitoring of myocardial injury during ischemia and reperfusion are evaluated, with particular attention to their intraoperative use. This book brings together the scientific discussions on ischemia-reperfusion in experimental cardiology and cardiac surgery, a task needed for a long time. It is of general interest for clinicians as well as research workers and students in the cardiac field.
