Coronary flow characteristics of left coronary artery in aortic regurgitation before and after aortic valve replacement.
In 6 patients with pure aortic regurgitation, the velocity waveform in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was measured using an 80-channel 20-MHz-pulse Doppler velocimeter before and immediately after aortic valve replacement. All patients showed normal coronary angiograms. Flow velocity was analyzed by both zero-cross and fast Fourier transform methods in real time. The LAD flow in severe aortic regurgitation was characterized by an increase in the systolic flow component, a small and rapidly decreased diastolic flow, an irregular velocity profile across the vessel, and a wider velocity spectrum. After aortic valve replacement, systolic flow decreased by 36.3 +/- 21.7% (p less than 0.01), whereas diastolic flow increased by 81.4 +/- 51.8% (p less than 0.05). The ratio of diastolic flow to total LAD flow increased from 63 +/- 13% to 82 +/- 7% (p less than 0.05). The velocity profile became more parabolic and had a narrow spectrum. These results suggest that operation for aortic regurgitation induces beneficial effects on the myocardial inflow immediately after valve replacement.
Fujiwara
T
T
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Japan.
Nogami
A
A
Masaki
H
H
Yamane
H
H
Kanazawa
S
S
Matsuoka
S
S
Yoshida
H
H
Katsumura
T
T
Ogasawara
Y
Y
Kajiya
F
F
D000328:Adult; D001021:Aortic Valve; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002302:Cardiac Output; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003971:Diastole; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012212:Rheology; D013599:Systole; D013997:Time Factors