Intraoperative comparison of left internal mammary artery blood flow: immediately after implantation versus before sternum closure / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective: The study was to analyze hemodynamic changes of blood flow of left internal mammary artery (LIMA) in off-pump coronary bypass surgery (OPCAB). Methods: From January 2002 to August 2002, a total of 65 patients received intraoperative hemodynamic assessment of their bypass grafts by transit-time flowmeter(TTFM) during OPCAB. All operations and flow measurements were performed by the same surgeon (GCQ). The mean age of patients was (64.3?0.94) years(range 47 to 75 years), There were 50 men and 15 women. One-vessel disease was in 7 patients, two-vessel disease in 26, three-vessel disease in 32, and left main stem disease (isolated or associated) in 22. Left anterior descending artery (LAD) was routinely bypassed with LIMA. The blood flow of LIMA was measured immediately after completion of the anastomosis to LAD (early phase) and before sternum closure (late phase) using transit-time flowmeter. Results: The mean flow significantly decreased from (29.91?3.32) ml/min in early phase to (25.12?2.56) ml/min, P