STERNAL BLOOD-FLOW DURING MOBILIZATION OF THE INTERNAL THORACIC ARTERIES

A laser Doppler tissue perfusion monitor was used to measure sternal b lood flow before, during, and after mobilization of the internal thora cic arteries in 24 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting . To minimize chest wall injury, a narrow pedicle was mobilized. Bilat eral flow data were available from 15 of the 24 patients. Analysis of these 39 studies showed no significant reduction of sternal blood flow as a consequence of mobilization of the internal thoracic arteries ex cept in 2 patients who were both diabetic and obese.