Noninvasive Doppler ultrasound evaluation of aortocoronary bypass.

Using ultrasound method, aortocoronary bypass patency was determined by means of bidirectional Doppler's flowmeter. In 8 (3%) of 302 subjects without aortocoronary bypass was recorded diastolic signal which might distort the results of postoperative evaluation of graft patency. Two-hundred and ninety-seven patients with 330 aortocoronary bypasses were studied at the mean time of 8 months after operation. The graft patency was 84.5%. Comparison of 89 ultrasound findings with angiographic results established considerable specificity (90%) and sufficient sensitivity (77%). Reproducibility of this method was also good. The method is inexpensive and not time consuming. The advantages are also its safety and convenience for the patient. In the present level of development it can be used mainly as screening test at long-term follow-up of aortocoronary graft patency.