Pulsatile flow during cardiopulmonary bypass preserves postoperative microcirculatory perfusion irrespective of systemic hemodynamics.

The onset of nonpulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass is known to deteriorate microcirculatory perfusion, but it has never been investigated whether this may be prevented by restoration of pulsatility during extracorporeal circulation. We therefore investigated the distinct effects of nonpulsatile and pulsatile flow on microcirculatory perfusion during on-pump cardiac surgery. Patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery were randomized into a nonpulsatile (n = 17) or pulsatile (n = 16) cardiopulmonary bypass group. Sublingual mucosal microvascular perfusion was measured at distinct perioperative time intervals using sidestream dark field imaging, and quantified as the level of perfused small vessel density and microvascular flow index (vessel diameter < 20 μm). Microcirculation measurements were paralleled by hemodynamic and free hemoglobin analyses. The pulse wave during pulsatile bypass estimated 58 ± 17% of the baseline blood pressure waveform. The observed reduction in perfused vessel density during aorta cross-clamping was only restored in the pulsatile flow group and increased from 15.5 ± 2.4 to 20.3 ± 3.7 mm/mm(2) upon intensive care admission (P < 0.01). The median postoperative microvascular flow index was higher in the pulsatile group [2.6 (2.5-2.9)] than in the nonpulsatile group [2.1 (1.7-2.5); P = 0.001]. Pulsatile flow was not associated with augmentation of free hemoglobin production and was paralleled by improved oxygen consumption from 70 ± 14 to 82 ± 16 ml·min(-1)·m(-2) (P = 0.01) at the end of aortic cross-clamping. In conclusion, pulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass preserves microcirculatory perfusion throughout the early postoperative period, irrespective of systemic hemodynamics. This observation is paralleled by an increase in oxygen consumption during pulsatile flow, which may hint toward decreased microcirculatory heterogeneity during extracorporeal circulation and preservation of microcirculatory perfusion throughout the perioperative period.