Evaluation of early and late postoperative flow capacity of internal thoracic artery bypass by means of stress Doppler echocardiography

Arterial revascularization with the internal thoracic artery (ITA) has shown exceptional long-term results, even though early hypoperfusion can occur and can cause ischemia and contractile dysfunction. Therefore, it is still controversial as to whether the bypass vessel can guarantee the required demand for blood flow during the early postoperative (EPO) phase or whether this is only possible a long time after the operation. This question is important particular in the early postoperative phase to manage afterload and reduce left ventricular oxygen demand. Therefore, stress Doppler echocardiography was performed to assess EPO and late postoperative (LPO) flow capacity after minimal-invasive coronary artery bypass grafting (MIDCAB) in subjects with single vessel disease.