Could treatment with scavengers of oxygen free radicals minimize complications in cardiac surgery

Cardiac surgical complications may be caused by a plethora of events. Oxygen free radicals may participate in the pathophysiology of cardiopulmonary bypass and myocardial ischaemiareperfusion injury. The evidence of free radical production during bypass is limited, and studies of the effect of free radical scavengers even more limited. Experimental work points towards a role of oxygen free radicals in reperfusion damage of the ischaemic myocardium, but clinical data are lacking. Hitherto the clinical availability of free radical scavengers/antioxidants has been scarse. At present more such drugs are becoming clinically applicable, and trials on their effect are highly warranted, in particular as an adjuvant in myocardial protection.