title: A novel parasternal transthoracic echocardiographic window for detecting coronary ostial dilation after modified Bentall surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During the modified Bentall surgery (aortic root replacement), a cuff of native aorta is implanted, together with the coronary ostium, into the aortic graft. Multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) imaging can accurately assess the coronary ostial anastomosis site post-surgery. In this study, we assessed the feasibility of imaging the coronary ostial anastomosis site using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (n = 14, mean age 65 ± 12 years, 79% males) with previous Bentall surgery underwent TTE study, with MDCT (64-slice) as the reference standard. TTE used conventional and novel acoustic windows to interrogate the coronary ostia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All coronary ostia (n = 28) were well-visualized with MDCT. The optimum TTE acoustic window for visualizing the coronary ostia was a superiorly positioned parasternal short-axis view with the probe tilted towards the left shoulder, medially angulated for the right coronary artery ostia (RCAos) and laterally angulated for the left main coronary artery (LMAos). In this off-axis position, 10 (71%) LMAos and 13 (93%) RCAos could be visualized. In the conventional parasternal views, only 5 (36%) RCAos and no LMAos could be visualized. TTE underestimated the diameter of the LMAos (10.0 ± 2.4 mm TTE vs. 13.4 ± 2.7 mm MDCT, p = 0.007), but was similar to MDCT for the RCAos (9.8 ± 3.1 mm TTE vs. 11.1 ± 3.2 mm MDCT, p = 0.10).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report a novel TTE acoustic window to image the coronary ostia of post-Bentall surgery patients. Although TTE underestimates the left coronary ostium size, recognition of the ostial dilation with TTE appears feasible in most patients. Those that cannot be imaged will require alternative imaging modality such as MDCT.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Concord Hospital, The University of Sydney, Hospital Road, Concord 2139, NSW, Australia. ccaustin@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Austin Chin Chwan
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Dianna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hanzek
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kritharides
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yiannikas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000637:transplantation*; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013249:Sternum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016896:Treatment Outcome