Effect of myocardial revascularization on the left ventricular function. Diagnosis of reversible contraction abnormalities.

Function of the left ventricle was evaluated in 28 men during the early postoperative period after myocardial revascularization by left ventricular cineangiograms. The group was characterized by patency of all aorto-coronary grafts and the absence of a new Q waves on the ECG. Improvement of the global left ventricular function occurred in a sub-group of patients with reduced ejection fraction before operation as well as in patients with segmental disturbances of left ventricular contraction. The segmental contractions improved significantly in the revascularized areas where prior to operation the function was impaired. The postoperative change was in some patients predicted before operation by administration of sublingual nitroglycerin and by means of postextrasystolic potentiation. We found the same trend of changes produced by the above stimuli and by revascularization.