HTK-Custodiol versus Buckberg Blood Cardioplegia: Comparison of myocardial protection in aortic valve surgery

Abstract

Cardioplegia-induced cardiac arrest remains the most widely used and reliable strategy for myocardial protection in cardiac surgery; however, a clear consensus on the optimal type of cardioplegia solution has yet to be established. Aim: To compare biomarkers of myocardial injury and clinical outcomes between Buckberg cardioplegia (BC) and HTK-Custodiol (HTK). Methods: Longitudinal, retrospective, single-center study including patients who underwent aortic valve surgery (AVS) during 2023. Exclusion criteria were additional major cardiac procedures, use of other cardioplegic solutions, urgent or emergent surgeries, previous cardiac surgery, active endocarditis and myocardial infarction within 90 days. The impact of cardioplegia solution type on postoperative CK-MB and cTnI biomarkers and clinical outcomes was studied using multivariable regressions.