title: Preserved blood flow in the composite right gastroepiploic artery graft during norepinephrine infusion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We examined the effect of norepinephrine infusion on blood flow in Y-composite right gastroepiploic artery grafts after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Enrolled were 28 patients who were scheduled for revascularization with a Y-composite graft (end-to-side anastomosis of the right gastroepiploic artery to the in situ left internal thoracic artery graft). After all planned anastomoses were completed in each patient, blood flow in the right gastroepiploic artery composite graft and the internal thoracic artery graft (proximal and distal to the right gastroepiploic artery graft) was measured before and after continuous norepinephrine infusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Blood flow in right gastroepiploic artery (26.4 +/- 15.8 vs 33.8 +/- 18.0 mL/min, p = 0.0004), proximal left internal thoracic artery (47.5 +/- 21.2 vs 61.6 +/- 23.4 mL/min, p < 0.0001), and distal left internal thoracic artery (20.1 +/- 12.1 vs 26.8 +/- 14.6 mL/min, p < 0.0001) grafts increased after norepinephrine infusion. In addition, the proportion of blood flow in right gastroepiploic artery grafts based on the blood flow in proximal left internal thoracic artery grafts was preserved (57.2% +/- 24.7% vs 55.1% +/- 25.6%, p = 0.607).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blood flow in right gastroepiploic artery composite grafts after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting was preserved during norepinephrine infusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ho-Geol
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Jae-Hyon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Bahk
authors.forename: Ki-Bong
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000637:transplantation*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D007387:Internal Mammary-Coronary Artery Anastomosis / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D009638:Norepinephrine