Regional myocardial dimensions following coronary artery bypass grafting in patients. Relationship of functional deterioration to graft occlusion.

The direct relationship between graft flow and regional midwall myocardial function has not been documented in patients. Therefore, the present study was designed to quantitate the effects of coronary artery bypass grafting on regional myocardial mechanics distal to a coronary artery obstruction. Twenty-one patients with subtotal or total occlusion of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. Following completion of the aortic and coronary anastomoses, two miniature ultrasonic dimension transducers (2.5 mm. diameter) were positioned within the minor axis of the anterior left ventricular free wall and were allowed complete freedom of movement. The transducers were placed at midwall depth, and areas of clinically apparent myocardial fibrosis were not utilized as sites of implantation. During control, 30 minutes following the termination of cardiopulmonary bypass, regional myocardial dimensions, pulmonary artery diastolic pressure, arterial pressure, and heart rate were recorded with all saphenous vein grafts open and after 30 seconds of single vein graft occlusion. These measurements were repeated during atrial pacing at a rate of 128 +/- 4 beats per minute. Data are mean +/- the standard error of the mean. During control, graft occlusion resulted in a regional decrease in systolic excursion from 1.3 +/- 0.1 to 1.0 +/- 0.2 mm. (p less than 0.01), as well as a decrease in the rate of shortening from 8.7 +/- 0.2 to 6.2 +/- 1.1 mm. per second (p less than 0.05); heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and diastolic pulmonary artery pressure remained unchanged. Graft occlusion with atrial pacing resulted in an exaggerated decrease in both regional systolic excursion, from 1.2 +/- 0.2 to 0.6 +/- 0.2 mm. (p less than 0.01), and rate of shortening, from 9.4 +/- 1.5 to 4.4 +/- 0.2 mm. per second (p less than 0.01). For the group of patients studied, end-diastolic lengths were unchanged with graft occlusion during control and atrial pacing. Moreover, with graft occlusion, isolated patients demonstrated regional dyskinesia as evidenced by holosystolic bulging. These studies in patients have documented for the first time that, despite a constant preload, afterload, and heart rate, regional myocardial function following coronary artery bypass grafting is dependent upon adequate graft flow, especially during stress.