Surgeons successfully performed complex aortic arch repairs on 29 patients without stopping their hearts, maintaining continuous blood flow at 34°C and 300-400 mL/min perfusion rates. Traditional aortic surgery requires cardioplegic arrest, which starves the heart muscle of oxygen and contributes to post-surgical heart failure. This beating-heart approach eliminated perioperative heart attacks and low cardiac output syndrome entirely—complications that typically affect significant percentages of patients undergoing conventional procedures. The technique represents a paradigm shift in cardiac surgery philosophy, moving from controlled cardiac arrest to continuous perfusion. While 30-day mortality remained at 10.3%, all deaths stemmed from non-cardiac complications like respiratory failure, suggesting the heart protection strategy was effective. However, this single-center series of 29 patients represents preliminary evidence requiring much larger validation studies. The approach demands exceptional surgical precision and may not suit all patient populations or surgical teams. As this is a preprint awaiting peer review, the methodology and outcomes require independent verification before widespread adoption. If confirmed through randomized controlled trials, this technique could transform outcomes for thousands of patients requiring complex aortic surgery worldwide.
Beating-Heart Aortic Surgery Eliminates Cardiac Complications in 29 Patients
📄 Based on research published in medRxiv preprint
Read the original research →⚠️ This is a preprint — it has not yet been peer-reviewed. Results should be interpreted with caution and may change following peer review.
For informational, non-clinical use. Synthesized analysis of published research — may contain errors. Not medical advice. Consult original sources and your physician.