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Ann Thorac Surg 1998;66:1236-1241
© 1998 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
a Department of Cardiac Surgery, University "G. DAnnunzio" of Chieti, Chieti, Italy
Accepted for publication April 8, 1998.
Address reprint requests to Dr Calafiore, Department of Cardiac Surgery, "G. DAnnunzio" University, "San Camillo de Lellis" Hospital, Via C. Forlanini 50, 66100 Chieti, Italy
e-mail: (calafiore{at}unich.it)
| Abstract |
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Methods. One hundred patients had an early postoperative angiography and a Doppler flow velocity assessment at rest and during the Azoulay maneuver. Peak and mean systolic velocities, peak and mean diastolic velocities, and peak and mean diastolic to systolic velocity ratios were recorded in all patients.
Results. In 95 patients with no restrictive conduit or anastomosis, peak and mean diastolic to systolic velocity ratios increased during the Azoulay maneuver; all but 1 patient showed at least one ratio equal to or greater than 1. In 4 patients with restrictive conduit or anastomosis, peak and mean diastolic to systolic velocity ratios were always less than 1 during the Azoulay maneuver. In the patient with an occluded conduit these ratios were less than 0.6.
Conclusions. Peak and mean diastolic to systolic velocity ratios less than 1 during the Azoulay maneuver are suggestive of conduit or anastomosis malfunction. If we limit the angiographic controls to these patients, it is very likely that a pathologic anastomosis or conduit will not be missed.
| Introduction |
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At rest, the Doppler probe can detect the increase of the diastolic flow velocity component when the LIMA is grafted to the LAD, a territory perfused mainly during diastole; however, this information is not complete. We know in fact that the LIMA and the LAD are connected, but we do not know whether during stress conditions the anastomosis is restrictive or not. Pharmacologic stress tests (using adenosine, dipyridamole, or dobutamine) need some organization, are not easily done, and cannot be repeated often. For this reason, one of us (S.G.) proposed to assess the LIMA Doppler flow velocity pattern during the Azoulay maneuver [6], which is easy to do and repeatable.
This study has two purposes. The first one is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Doppler flow velocity assessment at rest and during the Azoulay maneuver in a consecutive group of patients who had LIMA to LAD through a LAST on a beating heart and in whom a postoperative control angiography showed a widely patent graft (group A). A small series of patients with angiographically determined anastomotic or conduit malfunctions were considered as a control group (group B). The ungrafted LIMA flow velocity pattern was assessed in a group of volunteers to know the normal behavior in the ungrafted LIMA.
The second purpose is to find whether any information drawn from the Doppler flow velocity assessment can predict whether the anastomosis is both patent and not restrictive to limit the necessity of postoperative angiographies.
| Material and methods |
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The Azoulay maneuver was designed many decades ago to improve the auscultation of the hearts murmurs in valvular disease. It consists of two steps; first both legs of the patient are lifted up by an assistant, and second the patient is required to actively hold this position for a few seconds. Acute hypervolemia follows as blood from both legs is suddenly emptied into the upper body circulation. As a consequence the heart rate and cardiac output transiently increase [6]; this causes an increase of blood flow to both the muscular circulation (systolic phase of the LIMA flow pattern) and to the coronary circulation (diastolic phase of the LIMA flow pattern).
To evaluate the modification of hemodynamic parameters in 10 patients, heart rate, systolic and diastolic arterial pressure, and cardiac output were recorded at rest and during the Azoulay maneuver, performed 4 hours after intensive care unit admission. Every patient had direct cannulation of the radial artery and heart rate was continuously recorded. Cardiac output was obtained with the thermodilution technique through a Swan-Ganz catheter.
Peak systolic velocity, peak diastolic velocity, mean systolic velocity, and mean diastolic velocity were recorded, both at rest and during the Azoulay maneuver, as well as peak diastolic to systolic velocity ratios (PDSVR) and mean diastolic to systolic velocity ratios (MDSVR). Heart rate and systemic pressure were also recorded. Effects of the Azoulay maneuver lasted about 60 seconds. The values obtained were correlated with the angiographic findings.
Patients were then discharged and followed up at the outpatient clinic after 1, 2, 4, and 6 months. At that time, an LIMA Doppler flow evaluation was performed again. All the patients in group B were given another angiography at a mean interval of 185 ± 26 days from the first one. Every patient had a stress test without medical treatment, 1 and 6 months after the operation.
Results are expressed as mean ± standard deviation unless otherwise indicated. Statistical analysis comparing two groups was performed with unpaired two-tailed t testing. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the groups at rest and during the Azoulay maneuver. A probability value less than 0.05 was considered significant.
| Results |
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During the Azoulay maneuver, both systolic and diastolic peak and mean velocities increased (Fig 2), but only the increase of the diastolic component reached statistical significance. Peak and mean diastolic velocities were statistically higher than the corresponding systolic velocities. Consequently, PDSVR and MDSVR increased further during the Azoulay maneuver (Table 4), often, but not always, reaching 1. As at rest, PDSVR was equal to or more than 1 in 88 of 95 patients and MDSVR in 94 of 95 patients. Only in a single instance were all the ratios (at rest and during the Azoulay maneuver) less than 1. In every patient in whom a basal ratio was equal to or more than 1, there was a further increase during the Azoulay maneuver.
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When the Doppler flow velocity assessment showed at least one ratio equal to or more than 1, the test was defined as "positive": this happened in 94 of 95 patients in group A.
Patients with grade B anastomosis (group B, n = 4)
In this small group of patients the angiography showed anastomotic stenosis (in 2) or conduit anomalies (in 2). Doppler flow velocity evaluation at rest and during the Azoulay maneuver is shown in Table 5. Heart rate increased from 75 ± 7 to 89 ± 9 beats/min (p < 0.05), as well as systemic pressure (systolic 111 ± 23 versus 149 ± 28 mm Hg, p < 0.05; diastolic 75 ± 9 versus 89 ± 9 mm Hg, p < 0.05).
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During the Azoulay maneuver, the increase in diastolic velocities was poor, whereas a normal increase in systolic velocities was present, although, as in the basal values, it was not significant. These ratios did not change and remained less than 1 (Fig 3).
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As the patients in this group were asymptomatic, we waited for a further angiographic control. From 1 to 7 months after the operation all the patients had a negative stress test, and the Doppler flow velocity assessment, at rest and during the Azoulay maneuver, showed a normalization of the flow pattern (ie, the test became positive). Further angiograms, obtained in all patients, showed a reversal of the anastomotic or conduit malfunction stenosis (Fig 4). Consequently, the Doppler flow velocity assessment at rest and after the Azoulay maneuver reversed to the same pattern as in group A. The angiographic perfect patency rate rose to 99%.
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| Comment |
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The acute hypervolemia, and consequently the increase of cardiac output and heart rate, causes a sudden increase in the flow velocities, and the amount of the increase gives a perfect idea of the functional aspect of the anastomosis. At rest patients with normal anastomotic or conduit anatomy have both peak and mean diastolic velocities higher than the systolic ones, as well as the corresponding ratios. During the Azoulay maneuver, both peak and mean velocities increase, but the diastolic increase is higher than the systolic one, and the corresponding ratios usually are 1 or greater.
To predict the quality of the anastomosis, comparing postoperative angiographies and Doppler flow velocity evaluation, at rest and during the Azoulay maneuver, we suggest the following guidelines.
If control angiographies are performed only in patients with a negative Doppler test, it is very likely that no patient with conduit or anastomosis malfunction will be missed, even if in 16.7% of the cases (1 of 6 in our experience) a patient with a normal anatomy will be studied. On the other hand, we will avoid angiographies of patients with nonrestrictive anastomosis. The postoperative stress test, if negative, will confirm the quality of the revascularization.
In conclusion, the Doppler flow velocity evaluation at rest and after the Azoulay maneuver is a reliable technique to follow up patients who undergo the LAST operation. The necessity of postoperative angiographies will be reduced, costs will be contained, and the patients comfort will increase.
| References |
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