Retrograde perfusion through the superior vena cava perfuses the brain in human beings

Retrograde cerebral perfusion (RCP) through the superior vena cava (SVC) has been used to improve cerebral protection during hypothermic circulatory arrest (HCA) in aortic operations. Different mechanisms of protection have been postulated for RCP. These include the optimization of cerebral metabolic function during HCA by oxygenation and removal of catabolic products, maintaining a low brain temperature, and flushing of gaseous and particulate microemboli from the arterial tree before reinstitution of antegrade perfusion. Some of these hypotheses are based on the assumption that blood retrogradely perfused through the SVC actually reaches the