title: Graft flow and reactive hyperemia immediately following coronary artery bypass surgery.
abstract: Graft flow rates and reactive hyperemia (RH) were measured in 166 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. A wide range of graft flow rates was found within 273 grafts: the left anterior descending (LAD) arterial graft flow rate was the highest; the left circumflex (LCX) arterial graft flow rate was the lowest; and the right coronary (RCA) arterial graft flow rate was in between. There was no relation between the severity of coronary stenosis and basal graft flow. In LAD and RCA grafts, there was a higher percentage of positive RH (> 10%) in vessels with severe obstruction (grades 4 and 5). No correlation was demonstrated between graft flow and RH in patients with or without myocardial infarction. In addition, RH increased in patients with good coronary arterial collateral circulation (p < 0.05). Our data support the theory that coronary collaterals do not provide sufficient blood flow to the myocardium supplied by a stenotic coronary artery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, R.O.C.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003097:Collateral Circulation; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006940:Hyperemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged