Raman Spectroscopic Evaluation of Human Myocardial Infarction

Myocardial infarction (MI) following ischemia is a major cause of mortality worldwide. The determination of the appropriate surgical procedure of MI is based on myocardial viability, which is the potential to recover functions of myocardium. Magnetic resonance imaging and myocardial scintigraphy are generally used for the evaluation of myocardial viability before cardiac surgery. Since there is lack of direct evaluation method of myocardial viability, surgeons should make decision of surgical procedure during surgery only based on preoperative evaluation. An intraoperative estimation method of myocardial viability is therefore deeply desired to obtain better outcome of cardiac surgery.