**1. Introduction**

90 Perioperative Considerations in Cardiac Surgery

NHS Blood and Transplant. (2011) Available from<www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/about/index> NSCT (2008) Report of the external review of recent outcomes in the heart transplant service

<http://www.specialisedservices.nhs.uk/document/review-recent-outcomes-in-

<www.rcseng.ac.uk/surgical\_research\_units/ceu/docs.html>

at Harefield Hospital. Available from

heart-transplant-service-at-harefield-hospital>

Perioperative organ protection refers to the set of strategies to lessen the intensity of the surgical and anesthetic stress. A better understanding of mechanisms involved in tissue hypoperfusion, ischemia-reperfusion phenomena, and the protection triggered by certain anesthetic techniques, drugs and adjuvants have been very useful in perioperative organ protection, especially in patients with comorbidities and / or undergoing high risk surgical procedures.
