Relation of waveform of transit-time flow measurement and graft patency in coronary artery bypass grafting

Abstract

Graft patency is the major factor limiting the initial clinical benefits of revascularization and patient survival; however, it is not easy to anticipate. Transit-time flow measurement (TTFM) has been the common method of assessing intraoperative coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patency because it is a noninvasive and easy method. TTFM provides a mean graft flow (MGF), a flow waveform, and derived values such as the pulsatility index (PI). D’Ancona and colleagues 1 reported the necessity to revise 3% of grafts on the basis of TTFM and emphasized the crucial feature of flow value interpretation as an index of graft patency. Takami and Ina 2 reported the relation between the graft flow waveform and the anastomotic quality of CABG using a fast Fourier transformation (FFT) analysis. However, there have been no reports that graft patency can be anticipated using analysis of the graft flow waveform. We demonstrate that graft patency can be assessed with FFT analysis of TTFM waveform.