Technology for protecting organs during cardiac surgery patented by Nizhny Novgorod researchers
To reduce the risk of damage to the human body during cardiac surgery, researchers at Lobachevsky University in partnership with doctors from the Specialised Cardiosurgical Clinical Hospital in Nizhny Novgorod have developed a technology that involves the combined use of nitric oxide and molecular hydrogen fed into the artificial circulatory system.
The development has already been used in heart surgery. This technology has reduced the number and severity of postoperative complications by reducing oxidative stress, increasing the retention of red blood cells, improving blood flow and oxygen delivery to tissues and organs. According to the scientists, the improvement of the patients' condition was observed both during the operation and in the early postoperative period.
“The main stage of high-tech heart surgical operations, during which artificial circulation is performed, takes more than one hour, and blood during this time circulates in an artificial circuit outside the body, which can result in damage to red blood cells, deficiency of oxygen delivery to all organs and tissues and impairment of their functions. The use of nitric oxide and molecular hydrogen reduced oxidative stress, decreased heart failure and reduced inflammatory response,” explained the author of the study, Head of the Physiology and Anatomy Department at the UNN Institute of Biology and Biomedicine Anna Deryugina.
Molecular hydrogen serves as an antioxidant and neutralises free radicals - active oxygen molecules that destroy blood cells. Its molecule passes freely through cell membranes and has an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect throughout the entire human body. Nitric oxide protects the heart muscle and improves blood supply to organs.
“Our research has shown the effectiveness of using both nitric oxide and molecular hydrogen. By combining them, we were able to significantly improve the result. Today we are studying the effectiveness of the method in preparing patients for surgery and in the postoperative period. This technology is successfully used by Nizhny Novgorod cardiac surgeons. The method's high efficiency allows us to hope for its further implementation throughout Russia,” said Anna Deryugina.
The project is jointly run by scientists from the Physiology and Anatomy Department of Lobachevsky University and the Specialised Cardiosurgical Clinical Hospital of Nizhny Novgorod.
The research results have been published in leading Russian and international journals. The technology was patented in 2024 with the support of the UNN Technology Transfer Centre.
