Detailed analyses of regional myocardial blood flow, function, metabolism and morphology in ischemic and reperfused myocardium have led to the identifi cation of important phenomena, i. e., myocardial hibernation, myocardial stun ning and ischemic preconditioning. Both the hibernating and the stunned myocardium characterize viable though dysfunctional as distinguished from necrotic tissue. With the advent of reperfusion procedures, the distinction between reversibly injured, hypofunctional myocardium from irreversibly injured, hypofunctional myocardium is of utmost clinical importance. The...