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Heart to Heart Mission

For more than 20 years, the IPA has performed life-saving heart surgery on over 400 patients in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

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Honduras Mission

The IPA is working with Duke to expand their heart surgery mission program in Honduras. We have a mission trip planned for mid-May. Stay tuned for more information.

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Your Mission Trip

The IPA will gladly make donations to qualified charitable organizations who perform cardiac surgery mission work for patients in need.

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600+

Patients served

Help Mend a Heart!

Every member of our team is an unpaid volunteer, so please take comfort in knowing that 100% of all donated funds go directly to patient care. Your generosity is so very welcome and will help save lives!
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— Latest News —

Alternative Arterial Access in Veno-Arterial ECMO

Alternative Arterial Access in Veno-Arterial ECMO: The Role of the Axillary Artery

This review explores axillary artery cannulation as an alternative arterial access in veno-arterial ECMO. While femoral access is most common, it carries risks of limb ischemia and differential hypoxia. Axillary access provides antegrade flow, enhancing cerebral and coronary perfusion, reducing North–South syndrome, and enabling mobilization. However, it is technically demanding, with risks such as hyperperfusion and nerve injury. More prospective studies are needed for patient selection and outcomes.

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August 16, 2025

The Novel St Thomas’ Hospital Polarizing Blood Cardioplegia: Results in Hearts With Reduced Ejection Fraction

This study investigates the efficacy of a new St Thomas’ Hospital polarizing cardioplegia (STH-pol) versus standard depolarizing cardioplegia (STH-control) in rats with chronic myocardial infarction. Although STH-pol showed trends toward better coronary flow and reduced myocardial oxygen consumption, no statistically significant difference in myocardial protection was found. Both solutions demonstrated comparable recovery and energy preservation.

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July 13, 2025
Heart Cardioplegia 2023

Patient Outcomes After Introduction of Novel Myocardial Protection Protocol for Prolonged Aortic Cross-Clamping

This study evaluates the impact of a revised myocardial protection protocol implemented in 2021 at St. Marianna University School of Medicine for patients undergoing cardiac surgery with prolonged aortic cross-clamping (>4 hours). The revised protocol, focusing on the timing and method of blood cardioplegia administration, led to significantly lower postoperative creatine kinase levels and shorter hospital stays, indicating improved myocardial protection without altering the cardioplegia solution itself.

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June 24, 2025
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