Homografts in cardiac valves surgery: evidences for the perioperative nursing practice

Abstract

Homograft cardiac valves are largely used as surgical technique for several cardiovascular diseases. Graft defrosting is among activities performed by nursing in cardiac surgeries in the intraoperative period. The development of this study aims to support such practice through the search, in the literature, of evidence available on the care of graft defrosting in homograft cardiac valves in the intraoperative period. It is an integrative literature review. The databases selected were Medline and Lilacs and the following descriptors were used: transplantation, homologous; cryopreservation and heart valves. Seven articles were included in the review, which mainly approached aspects of the graft defrosting technique, length of time for performing such procedure, and solution adopted. We concluded that the graft defrosting practice is based on studies of evidence level 6 and 7, and little has been discussed about the nursing practice.