65mmHg. Sufficient blood products might be indicated when there was excessive oozing. Anticoagulant was not necessary. Two patients died of perioperative myocardial infarction and one of allergic shock to protamine. An incidence of postoperative complications as low as 2 2% (5/225) was obtained. Five patients were found to have various postoperative complications, which were completely cured. All the rest patients were uneventful, and they were discharged after (3 0?2 6) days of stay in the ICU and (8 2?1 5) days after the operation. Therefore, it is our belief that comprehensive and careful postoperative management is essential to achieve excellent results.

To introduce the experience in application of intra aortic balloon pump (IABP) in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 506 consecutive CABG performed from March 1997 to October 2001 including 19 cases who needed IABP support were retrospectively studied. IABP was inserted through femoral artery when blood circulation failed to maintain normal even though cardiopulmonary bypass had been weaned off and inotropic agents administered. The overall rate of using IABP was 2 4%. IABP was not needed in off pump CABG. Sixteen patients smoothly resuscitated from low output syndrome, but two died of perioperative myocardial infarction (PMI) and one of allergic shock to protamine, resulting in a mortality rate of 15 8%. Two patients (10 5%) were respectively insulted by external iliac artery rupture and thromboembolism of dorsal pedis artery but cured completely. The complication rate was 10 5%. The mean duration of using IABP was 25 3?5 6 hours. The authors hold that IABP should be used without hesitation when indicated and good early outcome and low incidence of complication can always be obtained.