THE ASSESSMENT OF INTERNAL MAMMARY ARTERY GRAFTS BY COLOR DOPPLER IN CORONARY-ARTERY SURGERY

Background. Various studies in progress on the flow and diameter param eters based assessment and suitability of internal mammary artery by p reoperative colour Doppler examination in coronary artery surgery. Pos toperative visualisation of these grafts is also in evolution. Due to its noninvasive approach, colour Doppler sonography is taking its plac e in the follow-up of coronary artery bypass procedure. The aim of thi s study was to show the effectiveness and feasibility of colour Dopple r in the routine postoperative follow-up evaluation, Methods. In GATA Haydarpasa Education Hospital, coronary artery bypass grafting was per formed by anastomosing left internal mammary artery to left anterior d escending artery and saphenous veins to remaining lesions of the coron ary arteries in 36 male patients between the ages of 42 to 66 (mean 54 .8) in 1995 Left internal mammary artery and unused right internal mam mary artery were imaged by colour Doppler six to eight weeks after the operations in all cases. Coronary angiography was also performed in t wo cases 4 months postoperatively, Results. Colour Doppler sonography findings showed that the diameter of left internal mammary artery was larger (p=0.03) and mean flow value was greater than intact right inte rnal mammary artery (p=0.02). Conclusions, These results shows that co lour Doppler sonography should be applied as a noninvasive method, in the follow-up of internal mammary artery grafts after coronary artery revascularisation.