AVOIDING THE HEMODYNAMIC CONSEQUENCES OF AORTIC CROSS-CLAMPING AND UNCLAMPING

From experiences in 15 patients, it is concluded that severe consequences of infrarenal aortic cross-clamping and unclamping can be mitigated or entirely avoided in patients with coronary-artery disease by the judicious use of volume loading and rapid-acting vasodilators such as sodium nitroprusside in conjunction with the monitoring of PCWP and, wherever possible, cardiac output.