HYPERTENSION AFTER CORONARY OPERATION - CAN IT BE PREVENTED BY PULSATILE PERFUSION

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 81  (3) , 396-399
Abstract
Nonpulsatile perfusion during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was implicated as a causative factor of postoperative hypertension. Patients undergoing coronary bypass were selected for perfusion with either nonpulsatile flow (American Optical roller pump) or pulsatile flow (Desjardin''s modification of the roller pump). The incidence of postoperative hypertension and the levels of peripheral renin were noted. No differences could be observed in renin activity, with either modality of perfusion, before CPB, affer 30 min of stable CPB or 2 h postoperatively. Hypertension, necessitating treatment, occurred in 60% of the patients having pulsatile and 68% of those having nonpulsatile perfusion (P > 0.05). Although pulsatile CPB would appear to be more physiological than nonpulsatile perfusion, this method of creating pulsatile flow does not appear to eliminate postoperative hypertension.