A new technique for perfusion of the heart during aortic valvular surgery on a beating heart.

A new technique of perfusion of the heart during aortic valvular and combined aortic valvular and coronary artery surgery on the beating heart is presented. The inflow for perfusion is via a dual system: the coronary sinus is perfused with blood from a calibrated centrifugal pump connected to the oxygenator; the coronary ostia are perfused with blood from the ascending aortic cannula. The advantages of this new technique of perfusion of the heart are discussed. A new technique of perfusion of the heart during aortic valve surgery is presented, utilizing a dual system: one utilizing a pump, the other derived from the aortic cannula.