Comparison of Blood and del Nido Cardioplegia Solutions in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for PostOperative Morbidity and Mortality

Abstract

Objective: Del Nido cardioplegia (DNC) has been used routinely in pediatric cardiac surgery, but its use in adult cardiac surgery is still to be debated. This study was conducted to investigate and compare the effects of isotermic blood cardioplegia (BC) and DNC on early morbidity and mortality in adult patients undergoing isolated elective coronary artery bypass surgery.

Methods: A total of 187 patients who underwent isolated elective coronary artery bypass grafting surgery at our hospital in 2023 were included in the study. Patients with normal pre-operative left ventricular function who received DNC (85 patients) or isothermic BC (102 patients) for intraoperative myocardial protection were examined.

Results: There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of demographic data and pre-operative risk factors. The comparison of intraoperative parameters, including aortic cross-clamp time, perfusion time, and total operation time, revealed similar results between groups. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding major morbidity and length of hospital stay, with the exception of greater atrial fibrillation rate in DNC group (5.9% in del Nido group vs. 0 in BC group, p=0.018). Mortality rate did not differ between groups.

Conclusion: This study revealed that DNC can be safely used in adult coronary artery bypass surgery for patients with preserved left ventricular function. To establish routine use of DNC solution in adult coronary bypass surgery, large randomized studies including patients with low ejection fraction and concomitant cardiac pathologies are required.

Cite This Article: Özcan E, Antal A, Durmuş MA, Yiğit F. Comparison of Blood and del Nido Cardioplegia Solutions in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for PostOperative Morbidity and Mortality. Koşuyolu Heart J 2026;29(1):56–62