title: Cardiomed coronary flow meter for prevention of early occlusion in aortocoronary bypass grafting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The number of patients undergoing technically demanding off-pump myocardial revascularization is increasing, these days. Some researchers question the quality of the aortocoronary bypasses done on the beating heart and consequently their good patency.
  
  
  METHODS
  50 consecutive patients underwent off pump coronary surgery using sequential bypass technique, at our department. The quality of constructed grafts was evaluated using the CardioMed Trace System (CM4008, Medi-Stim As, Oslo, Norway) (TTFM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All sequential bypasses showed good per-operative quality with a mean fl ow of 69.4 ml/min.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TTFM seems to be an effective tool for the per-operative aortocoronary bypass patency verification and should help to prevent early graft occlusion.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  TTFM transit time flow meter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Teaching Hospital, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gwozdziewicz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018056:Hemorheology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011673:Pulsatile Flow