The use of cardioprotective strategies as adjuvants of cardioplegic solutions has become
an ideal alternative for the improvement of post-surgery heart recovery. The choice of the
optimal cardioplegia, as well as its distribution mechanism, remains controversial in the field of
cardiovascular surgery. There is still a need to search for new and better cardioprotective methods
during cardioplegic procedures. New techniques for the management of cardiovascular
complications during cardioplegia have evolved with new alternatives and additives, and each
new strategy provides a tool to neutralize the damage after ischemia/reperfusion events. Researchers
and clinicians have committed themselves to studying the effect of new strategies and
adjuvant components with the potential to improve the cardioprotective effect of cardioplegic
solutions in preventing myocardial ischemia/reperfusion-induced injury during cardiac surgery.
The aim of this review is to explore the different types of cardioplegia, their protection mechanisms,
and which strategies have been proposed to enhance the function of these solutions in
hearts exposed to cardiovascular pathologies that require surgical alternatives for their corrective
progression.