[Experience with intra-aortic balloon pumping preventively used in patients with a low left ventricular ejection fraction, operated on under extracorporeal circulation].

One hundred and fifty-six patients with coronary heart disease and a low (less than 30%) left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), operated on under extracorporeal circulation and preventive intra-aortic balloon pumping (IABP) were examined. The latter was found to promote the maintenance of stable hemodynamic parameters during and after surgery. Postoperative acute heart failure developed in 101 (64.7%) patients. Mortality was 9.6% (15 patients), in 9 cases death occurred after acute heart failure. There were no intra- and postoperative cases of lower extremity ischemia. Thus, preventive IABP is a safe and effective procedure in patients with low myocardial contractility (EF less than 30%), operated on under extracorporeal circulation.

[Thyroid hormones during the correction of acquired mitral defects under perfusion-free hypothermia]. / Tireoidnye gormony pri korrektsii priobretennykh mitral'nykh porokov v usloviiakh besperfuzionnoi gipotermii.

Total triiodothyronine and thyroxine were measured in the blood plasma during different stages of surgery and after it in 26 patients operated on the open heart under conditions of hypothermia without perfusion. Cooling without perfusion did not appreciably affect the levels of thyroid hormones. Only their ratio was evidently changed at cooling below 30 degrees C with the predominant content of thyroxine. After surgery functional hypothyrosis developed. The shifts were the most expressed on day 3 after the operation. Thyroid status normalized by day 10 postoperation.