Cardiac injury is a major complication of cardiac surgery. Surgical manipulation, systemic inflammatory response and cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI)are main reasons of cardiac injury. Gentle and swift surgical manipulation can reduce mechanical myocardial injury, shorten myocardial ischemic time, and reduce myocardial IRI. Satisfactory myocardial protection plays a key role to improve postoperative recovery. In recent years, more and more myocardial protection strategies are employed to reduce myocardial IRI and improve myocardial protection, including modifications of temperature, composition and instillation approach of cardioplegia in order to increase myocardial oxygen supply, decrease myocardial oxygen consumption, inhibit inflammatory response and eliminate oxygen free radicals. Endogenous myocardial protection is also achieved by supplement of certain medications in cardioplegia.
