The paper presents the results of use of intraaortic balloon counterpulsation (IABC) in complex therapy for cardiogemic shock in 31 patients with perioperative myocardial infarction (PMI) developed during aortocoronary bypass surgery under extracorporeal circulation (EC) and cold cardioplegia. The diagnosis of PMI was confirmed by the ECG data (the emergence of new Q waves) and by the high level of CPC-MB (more than 6%). IABC was performed, by using a Kontron M-7000 apparatus. The time elapsed from the onset of myocardial infarction to the start of IABC averaged 15.7 + 4.3 hours and the duration of the latter did 105 +/- 13 hours. IABC was initiated in 4 (12.9%) patients in the operating room before EC, in 20 (64.5%) during disconnection from EC, in 7 (22.6%) patients, who were unresponsive to pharmacological therapy, 6-26 hours after surgery. All the patients were divided into 2 groups: (1) 22 patients who had benefited from complex therapy using IABC; they were all successfully disconnected from the balloon pump; (2) 9 patients with refractory heart failure who had died during IABC. The latter has been shown to be one of the effective treatments of PMI and cardiogenic shock during aortocoronary bypass surgery, which achieves hemodynamic stabilization in 70.9% of cases. The results of complex therapy for cardiogenic shock depend on the site and extent of myocardial infarction. Lesions to the anterolateroposterior or anteroseptal area of the left ventricle belong to poor predictors. The outcomes of treatment are poor if there are significant hemodynamic disorders that require, besides cardiotonic agents, the administration of large doses of agents having a potent vasopressor effect (adrenaline and noradrenaline). Improvements in left ventricular pump function, cardiac output, and a significant reduction in the doses of sympathomimetics within the first 12 hours of IABC should be considered to be a good predictor. With the complex treatment of cardiogenic shock, by using counterpulsation after aortocoronary bypass surgery is 51.6%. The early initiation of IABC within 6 hours following the development of myocardial infarction allows mortality to be reduced.