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Biomedical subjects

F G Baumann

Publications and source records attributed to F G Baumann.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Minimally invasive mitral valve replacement: port-access technique, feasibility, and myocardial functional preservation.

OBJECTIVE: This experiment examined the feasibility of minimally invasive port-access mitral valve replacement via a 2.5 cm incision. METHODS: The study evaluated valvular performance and myocardial functional recovery in six mongrel dogs after port-access mitral valve replacement with a St. Jude Medical prosthesis (St. Jude Medical, Inc., St. Paul, Minn.). Femoro-femoral cardiopulmonary bypass and a balloon catheter system for myocardial protection with cardioplegic arrest (Heartport, Inc., Redwood City, Calif.) were used. The mitral valve was replaced through a 2.5 cm port in the left side of the chest, and the animals were weaned from bypass. Cardiac function was measured before and at 30 and 60 minutes after bypass. Left ventricular pressure and electrical conductance volume were used to calculate changes in load-independent indexes of ventricular function. RESULTS: Each procedure was successfully completed. Recovery of left ventricular function was excellent at 30 and 60 minutes after bypass compared with the prebypass values for elastance (30 minutes = 4.04 +/- 0.97 and 60 minutes = 4.27 +/- 0.57 vs prebypass = 4.45 +/- 0.96; p = 0.51) and for preload recruitable stroke work (30 minutes = 76.23 +/- 4.80 and 60 minutes = 71.21 +/- 2.99 vs prebypass = 71.23 +/- 3.75; p = 0.45). Preload recruitable work area remained at 96% and 85% of baseline at 30 and 60 minutes (p = not significant). In addition, transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated normal prosthetic valve function, as well as normal regional and global ventricular wall motion. Autopsy revealed secure annular-sewing apposition and normal leaflet motion. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that minimally invasive mitral valve replacement using percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass with cardioplegic arrest is technically reproducible, achieves normal valve placement, and results in complete cardiac functional recovery. Minimally invasive mitral valve replacement is now feasible, and clinical trials are indicated.

Animals↗

Port-Access coronary artery bypass grafting.

New techniques for minimally invasive cardiac surgery have recently emerged. This report describes the Port-Access technique for coronary artery bypass grafting, which involves a small left anterior thoracotomy, femoral cannulation for endovascular cardiopulmonary bypass, and cardioplegic arrest using an endoaortic occlusion catheter and cardioplegia delivery system. This technique allows for minimally invasive single or multivessel revascularization in an arrested, protected heart, while maintaining a high level of anastomotic precision. The Port-Access surgical techniques are described, along with the indications and contraindications for this procedure. The initial New York University clinical results with Port-Access coronary bypass grafting are presented.

Adult↗

Perioperative morbidity and mortality in combined vs. staged approaches to carotid and coronary revascularization.

Between 1986 and 1994 we identified 57 patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) during the same hospitalization. Simultaneous CABG and CEA was performed in 28 patients (mean age 70.5 years, 58% male). Indications for CABG in these patients were myocardial infarction in two crescendo angina in 19, congestive heart failure in two and left main or triple-vessel coronary artery disease noted during carotid preoperative evaluation in five. Indications for CEA were transient ischemic attack (TIA) in 12, crescendo TIA in six, cerebrovascular accident (CVA) in five, and asymptomatic stenosis in five. There were no postoperative myocardial infarctions or perioperative deaths. Two patients developed atrial fibrillation, and four patients had CVAs (two were ipsilateral to the side of CEA). Twenty-nine patients underwent staged procedures (i.e., not performed concomitantly but during the same hospitalization). Indications for CABG and CEA were comparable to those in the group undergoing simultaneous procedures. In 17 patients CEA was performed before CABG. There was a single CVA, the result of an intracerebral hemorrhage. Five of the 17 patients had a myocardial infarction and two died; one patient had first-degree heart block requiring a pacemaker. Four additional patients developed atrial fibrillation, one of whom required cardioversion. The remaining 12 patients had CABG followed by CEA. There were no CVAs, myocardial infarctions, arrhythmias, or deaths in this subgroup. These data demonstrate that the performance of simultaneous CABG and CEA procedures is associated with increased neurologic morbidity (14.3%), both ipsilateral and contralateral to the side of carotid surgery in contrast to staged CABG and CEA (3.4%). In addition, when staged carotid surgery preceded coronary revascularization in those with severe coronary artery disease, the combined cardiac complication and mortality rate was significantly higher than when coronary revascularization preceded CEA. This evidence suggests that when CABG and CEA must be performed during the same hospitalization, the procedures should be staged with CABG preceding CEA.

Aged↗

Selective approach to descending thoracic aortic aneurysm repair: a ten-year experience.

BACKGROUND: A variety of surgical techniques has been developed to attempt to minimize the risk of paraplegia after descending thoracic aortic aneurysm repair. This study reviews our institutional experience with several basic techniques over a period of 10 years. METHODS: Seventy-eight consecutive patients underwent repair of descending thoracic aortic aneurysm between 1983 and 1993. Two basic repair strategies were used: (1) distal perfusion with somatosensory evoked potential monitoring (n = 54) and (2) cross-clamping (n = 24), alone (n = 6) or with controlled distal exsanguination (n = 18). RESULTS: The operative mortality rate was 6.5% for elective repair (n = 62), 25.0% for emergent repair (n = 16), and 10.3% overall. Univariate predictors of increased operative risk were emergent operation, rupture, and shock. Neither death nor paraplegia was related to the operative technique used. The incidence of paraplegia was 3.7% in perfused patients and 4.2% in cross-clamping patients (p > 0.05). Paraplegia did not occur after any elective operation (zero of 62) but occurred in 18.6% of emergent cases (p < 0.01). In perfused patients, paraplegia did not occur when the distal pressure was maintained above 55 mm Hg and somatosensory evoked potentials remained intact. When somatosensory evoked potentials were lost (n = 7) in perfused patients, the operative technique was altered successfully in 5 patients, whereas in 2 patients (28.6%), paraplegia developed. CONCLUSIONS: The risks associated with elective descending thoracic aortic aneurysm repair were extremely low using an operative strategy that was flexible but skewed toward perfusion with somatosensory evoked potential monitoring. In perfused patients, paraplegia did not occur when distal pressure was greater than 55 mm Hg and somatosensory evoked potentials remained intact. However, the risks of death and paraplegia were primarily related to emergent presentation, not to technique, and the technique of cross clamping with controlled distal exsanguination was found to be valuable in unstable or in anatomically complicated subsets of patients.

Adolescent↗

Minimally invasive cardiopulmonary bypass with cardioplegic arrest: a closed chest technique with equivalent myocardial protection.

Thoracoscopic cardiac surgery is presently under intense investigation. This study examined the feasibility and efficacy of closed chest cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegic arrest in comparison with standard open chest methods in a dog model. The minimally invasive closed chest group (n = 6) underwent percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass and cardiac venting, as well as antegrade cardioplegic arrest through use of a specially designed percutaneous endovascular aortic occluder and cardioplegic solution delivery system. The control group (n = 6) underwent standard sternotomy and conventional open chest cardiopulmonary bypass, aortic crossclamping, and antegrade cardioplegia. Ischemic arrest time was 1 hour in each group. Ventricular pressures and sonomicrometer segment lengths were recorded before bypass and at 30 and 60 minutes after bypass. Left ventricular function did not differ significantly between the two groups, as demonstrated by measurements of elastance and end-diastolic stroke work. Also, the preload recruitable work area was 69% and 60% of baseline at 30 and 60 minutes after bypass in the minimally invasive group versus 65% and 62% in the conventional control group (p = not significant); the stroke work end-diastolic length relationship was 78% and 71% of baseline in the minimally invasive group at these intervals versus 77% and 74% in the conventional control group (p = not significant). Myocardial temperatures were similar throughout bypass in the two groups, and ultrastructural examination of prebypass and postbypass biopsy specimens showed no differences between groups. These results demonstrate that minimally invasive cardiopulmonary bypass with cardioplegic arrest is as feasible, safe, and effective as conventional open chest cardiopulmonary bypass. Thus current technology may allow wider clinical application of closed chest cardiac surgery.

Analysis of Variance↗

Effects of a single administration of fibroblast growth factor on vascular wall reaction to injury.

Expansion of the vascular wall through formation of neointimal fibromuscular lesions is the basic mechanism underlying stenosis of vascular grafts, restenosis of arteries treated by balloon angioplasty, and other major cardiovascular problems. This study examined the effect of a single, systemic, low dose of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on formation of neointimal fibromuscular lesions in response to injury. New Zealand white rabbits (n = 76) were subjected to balloon injury of the abdominal aorta. Forty-five rabbits were given a single intravenous dose of bFGF (0.5 microgram/kg) immediately after injury, and 31 rabbits were given only the vehicle solution as controls. After 2 (n = 15), 5 (n = 21), 14 (n = 29), or 28 (n = 11) days the rabbits were sacrificed. Those rabbits receiving the single administration of bFGF exhibited significantly greater intimal thickening (intima/media ratio) than the control group at 5 days (mean +/- standard error of the mean, 0.091 +/- 0.009 versus 0.058 +/- 0.006; p < 0.002), but not at 14 or 28 days. These results were achieved without any significant differences in mitotic indices, as determined by a mitostatic method, between the two groups at any postinjury interval examined. The findings suggest that a single systemic dose of exogenous bFGF has a relatively long term effect on enhancing the neointimal response to vascular injury. Therefore, local control of endogenous bFGF may be useful in limiting formation of vascular neointimal fibromuscular lesions, thus improving the long-term results of vascular grafts, balloon angioplasty, and other cardiovascular procedures.

Animals↗

Anterior leaflet procedures during mitral valve repair do not adversely influence long-term outcome.

OBJECTIVES: This study was done to assess the impact of anterior mitral leaflet reconstructive procedures on initial and long-term results of mitral valve repair. BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that involvement of the anterior leaflet in mitral valve disease adversely affects the long-term outcome of mitral valve repair. Our policy has been to aggressively repair such anterior leaflets with procedures that include triangular resections in some cases. METHODS: From June 1979 through June 1993, 558 consecutive Carpentier-type mitral valve repairs were performed. The anterior mitral leaflet and chordae tendineae were repaired in 156 patients (mean age 58 years). The procedures included anterior chordal shortening in 78 patients (50%), anterior leaflet resections in 44 (28%), resuspension of the anterior leaflet to secondary chordae in 42 (27%) and anterior chordal transposition in 27 (17%). Concomitant cardiac surgical procedures were performed in 75 patients (48%). RESULTS: The operative mortality rate was 2.5% (2 of 81) for isolated mitral valve anterior leaflet repair and 3.8% (6 of 156) for all mitral valve anterior leaflet repair. Freedom from reoperation at 5 and 10 years was, respectively, 89.7% (n = 160) and 83.4% (n = 24) for the entire series of 558 patients, 91.9% (n = 51) and 81.2% (n = 10) for patients with anterior leaflet procedures, 88.8% (n = 109) and 84.4% (n = 14) for patients without anterior leaflet procedures and 91.7% (n = 118) and 88.9% (n = 18) for patients without rheumatic disease. Logistic regression showed that rheumatic origin of disease (odds ratio 2.99), but not anterior leaflet repair, increased the risk for reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that expansion of mitral valve techniques to include anterior leaflet disease yields immediate and long-term results equal to those seen in patients with posterior leaflet disease.

Follow-Up Studies↗

Carotid endarterectomy in the presence of a contralateral occlusion: a review of 315 cases over a 27-year experience.

Recent data from the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial revealed a 14.3% perioperative risk of stroke or death with carotid endarterectomy contralateral to a carotid artery occlusion. Since last reporting on this topic in the mid-1980s, the authors have reviewed 180 patients with occlusion of one internal carotid artery (ICA) and who underwent endarterectomy of the stenotic contralateral ICA operated from 1965 to 1984 (group A) compared with 135 operated on from 1985 to 1991. The two groups were similar with respect to age, sex, incidence of coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes and history of smoking, but group B had a significantly increased incidence of patients who were neurologically symptom-free before surgery (21.5% versus 7.8%, P < 0.001). The combined perioperative stroke or death rate for patients in group B was significantly lower than for those in group A (0.7% versus 6.7%, P < 0.01). Comparison of the operative techniques showed more frequent placement of intra-arterial shunt (52.6% versus 29.4%, P < 0.001) and increased use of general anesthesia (20.0% versus 9.4%, P < 0.01) in patients of group B. Analysis of the etiology of the complications, however, showed that shunting alone could not account for the improved results. Lower incidences of postoperative thrombosis, embolization and intracerebral hemorrhage were equally important.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Blood Vessel Prosthesis↗

Resuscitative retrograde blood cardioplegia. Are amino acids or continuous warm techniques necessary?

This experiment was designed to determine the relative degree of cardiac functional recovery provided by various forms of resuscitative retrograde blood cardioplegia after global ischemic injury. Twenty-four dogs were subjected to 20 minutes of normothermic global myocardial ischemia followed by 60 minutes of cardioplegic arrest by one of three methods: group 1, standard cold blood cardioplegia with a cold terminal dose (n = 8); group 2, aspartate-glutamate-enhanced blood cardioplegia with warm induction and terminal enhancement (n = 8); and group 3, continuous warm blood cardioplegia (n = 8). Sonomicrometry was used to analyze left ventricular function for maximal elastance and preload recruitable stroke work area. Data were recorded at baseline and after 30 and 60 minutes of unloaded reperfusion. The results showed improved early recovery of preload recruitable stroke work area, but not of maximal elastance, after reperfusion of ischemic hearts with warm resuscitative blood cardioplegic solution enhanced with amino acids. The functional improvement provided by this technique was transient, however, and no significant differences were detectable among the groups after 60 minutes of unloaded reperfusion. Neither amino acid enhancement nor continuous warm cardioplegia offered a significant advantage in functional recovery over the standard method of cold blood cardioplegia reperfusion.

Animals↗

Severe calcification does not affect long-term outcome of mitral valve repair.

Some surgeons have suggested that the presence of severe calcification in the mitral valve annulus or leaflets precludes successful repair. Our institution has attempted to repair these calcified valves when good annular and leaflet mobility could be achieved by annular debridement and leaflet resection. From June 1979 through June 1993 558 mitral valve repairs were performed using Carpentier's techniques. When calcified valves were encountered, these techniques were modified to include annular debridement and mechanical leaflet decalcification. Calcification was identified preoperatively in 49 patients (8.8%) by either left ventricular fluoroscopy or echocardiography and was debrided in 64 patients (11.5%). This included 24 annular debridements, 28 leaflet debridements, and 12 annular and leaflet debridements. Patient ages ranged from 13 to 83 years (mean age, 62.3 years), and 25 patients (39.1%, 25/64) had concomitant cardiac procedures. Operative mortality was 6.2% (4/64) overall and 2.6% (1/39) for isolated mitral valve repairs. Calcium debridement was performed in 19.3% (23/119) of patients with a rheumatic cause compared with 9.3% (41/439) of the nonrheumatic patients (p < 0.01). Long-term follow-up revealed the necessity for reoperation in 7.8% (5/64) in patients with calcium debridement as compared with 7.7% (38/494) with no debridement (p = not significant). Cumulative freedom from reoperation at 10 years was 83.3% for all patients, 88.1% for debrided patients, and 82.6% for nondebrided patients (p = not significant). Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that the presence of rheumatic disease significantly increased the risk of reoperation (odds ratio = 3.28; p < 0.001), whereas calcium debridement had no significant effect. These results demonstrate that when good annulus and leaflet motion can be achieved in calcified mitral valves, calcium debridement allows durable repairs.

Adolescent↗

Mammary artery versus saphenous vein grafts: assessment of basic fibroblast growth factor receptors.

Neointimal hyperplasia limits the long-term patency of saphenous vein grafts (SVGs), but is notably absent from most internal mammary artery (IMA) grafts. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a local endothelial and vascular smooth muscle mitogen known to be involved in the pathogenesis of neointimal hyperplasia. This study used an animal model to compare the number of available high-affinity (HAR) and low-affinity (LAR) bFGF receptors in SVGs and IMA grafts and to determine whether distention injury causes an increase in receptor availability. The IMA and SVG specimens were harvested from 12 dogs and distended at 25 or 200 mm Hg for 15 minutes, and then the bFGF receptor uptake was measured in them using iodine 125-labeled bFGF. In the IMA conduits distended at low pressure, there were 2.54 +/- 0.10 (mean +/- standard error of the mean) HARs per mm2 of intimal surface area available and 5.19 +/- 0.40 LARs per mm2. High-pressure distention significantly (p < 0.001) increased the number of available HARs to 5.06 +/- 0.27 per mm2 and of LARs to 7.27 +/- 0.042 per mm2. At low pressure, the SVGs had significantly (p < 0.001) more HARs (9.14 +/- 0.84 per mm2) and LARs (18.2 +/- 0.57 per mm2) available than did the IMA conduits, and high pressure significantly (p < 0.001) increased the number of HARs available in SVGs to 24.1 +/- 2.43 per mm2 and the number of LARs to 44.7 +/- 2.34 per mm2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Is there detrimental gender bias in preoperative cardiac management of patients undergoing vascular surgery?

BACKGROUND: To investigate the possibility of gender bias in the cardiac management of patients who undergo peripheral vascular surgery, we examined the hospital data and outcomes for 350 adult men and 128 women who underwent vascular surgery from September 1987 to December 1991. METHODS AND RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in age at operation, incidence of standard risk factors for myocardial infarction, or incidence or duration of episodes of perioperative silent ischemia. Nevertheless, a significantly lower percentage of women than men had undergone prior coronary bypass procedures (6.3% and 17.1%, respectively; P < .01), an apparent example of gender bias. However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of perioperative myocardial infarction in women (3.9%) compared with men (4.0%). Furthermore, actuarial analysis showed that at 24 months after operation a significantly higher percentage of women (77.9%) had escaped late cardiac death and cardiac complications than men (71.9%; P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that apparent gender bias in the preoperative cardiac management of this group of women who underwent vascular surgery may have had no detrimental effect on short- and long-term incidence of cardiac death and complications, and may represent sound clinical judgment rather than true bias. However, the possibility that female patients might have had even better short- and long-term cardiac results if they had undergone more preoperative cardiac revascularization cannot be discounted.

Actuarial Analysis↗

Effect of retrograde warm continuous cardioplegia on right ventricular function.

BACKGROUND: Although retrograde warm continuous cardioplegia (RWCC) has been recently advocated as a method of myocardial preservation during cardiac surgery, scant data exist on the effects of RWCC on right ventricular function. However, previous data have clearly shown that retrograde cardioplegia is poorly distributed to the right ventricle and interventricular septum. This experiment was performed to analyze functional preservation of the right ventricle after RWCC. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fourteen mongrel dogs were instrumented with sonomicrometers and pressure transducers to determine left and right ventricular (LV, RV) pressure-volume relationships and placed on cardiopulmonary bypass. All dogs underwent 90 minutes of aortic cross-clamping with either (1) RWCC (n = 7) after antegrade warm arrest or (2) retrograde cold multidose cardioplegia (RCMC) (n = 7) with topical hypothermia after antegrade cold arrest. All dogs received identical blood cardioplegia solutions. Ventricular function was measured before arrest and 30 and 60 minutes after unclamping. The end-diastolic-work area relationship was calculated, and the slope is presented as percent of baseline (mean +/- SEM; repeated measures ANOVA). At 30 minutes after unclamping, RWCC provided 68.77 +/- 9.09 for the left ventricle and 41.03 +/- 7.49 (P < .05 for RWCC versus RCMC for RV function at 30 minutes) for the right ventricle, and RCMC provided 62.80 +/- 7.23 for the left ventricle and 79.40 +/- 13.82 for the right ventricle. At 60 minutes after unclamping, RWCC provided 58.24 +/- 12.35 for the left ventricle and 48.05 +/- 9.72 for the right ventricle, and RCMC provided 65.38 +/- 6.76 for the left ventricle and 61.95 +/- 8.70 for the right ventricle. (P = NS for RWCC versus RCMC for LV function at either 30 or 60 minutes). These results demonstrate depressed recovery of RV function after 90 minutes of RWCC (P < .05 at 30 minutes after reperfusion) compared with RCMC. No difference in recovery of LV function was detected. CONCLUSION: RWCC may be harmful to the right ventricle and should be used with caution, particularly in patients with preexisting RV hypertrophy.

Animals↗

Suppression of neointimal lesions after vascular injury: a role for polyclonal anti-basic fibroblast growth factor antibody.

BACKGROUND: Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a potent local promoter of vascular smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation and may play a major role in the pathogenesis of intimal fibromuscular lesions. Preliminary studies have shown that exogenous bFGF localizes to injured rabbit aorta and suggest that this interaction might be inhibited by anti-bFGF immunoglobulin (Ig) G. This study was designed to evaluate the possible role of polyclonal anti-bFGF IgG in reducing intimal fibromuscular lesion formation in the injured rabbit aorta. METHODS: The abdominal aortic endothelium was subjected to balloon injury in 13 rabbits. Six rabbits received intravenous rabbit anti-bFGF IgG, and seven received irrelevant rabbit IgG (16 micrograms/kg) 30 minutes before injury and daily for 5 days after injury. At 14 days after injury the aorta was fixed and sectioned, and the intimal and medial areas were measured by computerized digital morphometry with the intimal/medial ratio as an index of neointimal lesion formation. RESULTS: In the control group the intimal/medial ratio was 0.538 +/- 0.046 (mean +/- SEM), which was significantly greater than the anti-bFGF-treated group value of 0.148 +/- 0.021 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results show that daily doses of intravenous polyclonal anti-bFGF IgG for 5 days after balloon aortic injury significantly inhibit intimal fibromuscular lesion formation at 14 days. The results suggest that the process of intimal fibromuscular lesion formation may be susceptible to modification by antagonists to bFGF.

Animals↗

Plasma catecholamine concentrations during abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery: the link to perioperative myocardial ischemia.

Cardiac disease continues to be the leading cause of morbidity and mortality following peripheral vascular surgical procedures. Although the mechanism of sudden myocardial infarction remains elusive, many possibilities exist. The role of catecholamines is intriguing in view of the evidence that beta-adrenergic blockers reduce cardiac morbidity and mortality in vascular surgical patients. To ascertain whether the plasma catecholamine levels rise significantly during abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, serial determinations of plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels were performed in 18 patients. Epinephrine levels rose significantly from preoperative baseline values both during the operation and postoperatively, and norepinephrine levels rose significantly at 24 hours postoperatively. Although only one patient studied developed a myocardial infarction, the finding that patients undergoing aortic surgery uniformly experienced abnormally high serum catecholamine levels supports other evidence that perioperative myocardial ischemic events have a hormonal component.

Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal↗

Differences in carotid shunt flow rates and implications for cerebral blood flow.

A wide variety of carotid shunts are available for use in extracranial carotid surgery. Since it is commonly assumed that when properly positioned all shunts are equal in ability to protect the brain from cerebral ischemia, the choice of shunt is usually based on handling characteristics. However, after an intraoperative stroke occurred in a patient, we compared shunt flow rates using a simple and reproducible method of measurement. A mock circuit was created using a saline-filled fluid reservoir connected to the particular shunt being tested via 1/2-inch tubing. Hydrostatic pressure across the shunt was varied by changing the height of the reservoir, and the flow was collected over 30-second intervals. Multiple flow rate measurements were performed for each shunt with pressure gradients varying from 25 to 150 cm H2O. The data show significant hemodynamic differences among commercially available carotid shunts. A pressure gradient of 75 cm H2O produced a 2.8-fold variation in the amount of fluid delivered by various shunts. Minimal cerebral blood flow requirements and the possibility of underperfusion require that the surgeon consider such data in choosing an appropriate carotid shunt.

Blood Flow Velocity↗

Effects of graded reductions in internal mammary artery bypass flow on left ventricular function.

This study investigated the controversial relationship between reduction in internal mammary artery (IMA) graft blood flow and left ventricular function in a canine model. Ten dogs underwent IMA grafting to the left anterior descending coronary artery. The left anterior descending coronary artery proximal to the IMA graft was intermittently occluded while IMA flow was mechanically controlled for 5-minute periods to produce four IMA flow groups representing 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% of unoccluded IMA graft blood flow. As a control, the left ventricle was reperfused with native left anterior descending coronary artery flow between each IMA graft flow period to allow return to steady state. Sonomicrometry was used to obtain stroke work end-diastolic dimension relationship data for regional and global left ventricular function for each of the four flow groups. The global pressure recruitable work area relationship showed a significant rightward shift at 25% of unoccluded IMA flow, whereas the regional pressure recruitable work area relationship shifted at 50% of unoccluded IMA flow. Thus, regional myocardial function is more sensitive to reductions in IMA blood flow than is global left ventricular performance, and there is a significant IMA flow reserve for global left ventricular function.

Animals↗