CARBON-DIOXIDE FIELD FLOODING MINIMIZES RESIDUAL INTRACARDIAC AIR AFTER OPEN-HEART OPERATIONS

Transesophageal echocardiographic studies were used to monitor the pre sence of air bubbles in the heart after open heart operations. After c ardiac valvular procedures all 22 patients managed with careful deairi ng procedures had persistence of air bubbles for at least 30 minutes a nd usually for 45 minutes. In 56 patients with CO2 field flooding, all foam disappeared in less than 1 minute in 48 patients and the remaini ng 8 had complete disappearance in 1 to 24 minutes. These observations demonstrate the ineffectiveness of the usual deairing maneuvers and t he effectiveness of CO2 field flooding in displacing air. (C) 1997 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.