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Why is pH of the heart muscle important?

Why is pH of the heart muscle important?

During cardiac surgery the heart is often arrested. It is possible with lowering its temperature and stopping electrical function. Then the metabolism of the heart SHOULD stop totally. But what happens if it does not stop totally? Then cardiac cells keep on working without oxygen supply. This results in anaerobic metabolism and ACIDOSIS of the heart muscle. The same process happens after hard exercise in other muscles of our bodies. This hurts but goes by after several hours or days. 

But heart responds in a different way to its ACIDOSIS. It just stops! 

This can be seen in some patients undergoing cardiac surgery. After controlled arresting of the heart it reveals severe failure. It is proved that if pH of the heart during its arrest is lower then 6.4 then increased mortality of the patients is observed. 

Heart Guard technology is being created for the proper management of heart metabolism during heart surgery.