Tag: Cardioplegia

Each year, millions of people in the United States undergo noncardiac surgery, with about one-third having existing cardiac disease or major risk factors [1.6.5]. A common fear is, **does your heart stop beating under general anesthesia?** The answer is no, your heart continues to beat throughout the procedure [1.2.3].

During the average human lifespan, the heart beats more than 2.5 billion times, but for open-heart surgery, it must be temporarily arrested. The primary drug used to stop the heart during open-heart surgery is a high concentration of **potassium chloride**, delivered as part of a specialized solution known as cardioplegia. This solution induces a controlled, temporary cardiac arrest to provide a motionless, bloodless surgical field, while also protecting the heart muscle from ischemic damage.

Annually, hundreds of thousands of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgeries are performed in the United States. A crucial part of this procedure involves answering the question: **what drug stops the heart during bypass surgery?** The answer lies in a specialized solution called cardioplegia.

During complex open-heart procedures, surgeons intentionally induce cardiac arrest to operate on a motionless heart. Understanding **which drug stops the heart and restarts it** is critical, as it involves different medications and clinical contexts, such as controlled surgical procedures versus resetting an irregular heart rhythm.