Early detection of coronary artery graft dysfunction with intraoperative 2-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.
We report 5 cases in which intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography was instrumental in the early detection of a left ventricular wall-motion abnormality caused by acute dysfunction of a coronary artery bypass graft. The appearance of a wall-motion abnormality on transesophageal echocardiography preceded signs of myocardial ischemia when such signs were detectable with routine monitoring. By facilitating prompt, appropriate correction of technical problems, transesophageal echocardiography enabled the blood flow to be restored and the ischemic insult to be resolved without further complication.
Sisto
D A
DA
The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA.
Hoffman
D M
DM
Fernandes
S
S
Frater
R W
RW
Orihashi
K
K
Oka
Y
Y