Relationship of regional wall motion abnormalities detected by biplane transesophageal echocardiography and electrocardiographic changes in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Segmental Wall-Motion Abnormalities After an Arterial Switch Operation Indicate Ischemia

We prospectively studied 29 consecutive neonates undergoing an arterial switch operation to determine if segmental wall motion abnormalities (SWMA) represented myocardial ischemia. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiogram was recorded at baseline and twice after cardiopulmonary bypass. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels were measured before sternal incision and 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after removal of the aortic cross-clamp. Immediate postoperative Holter and 15-lead electrocardiograms (ECG) were evaluated for ischemia. Transthoracic echocardiograms were obtained before hospital discharge. At bypass termination, immediately after protamine administration, segmental wall motion was normal in nine neonates and abnormal in 20. SWMA were transient in five and present at the time of chest closure in 15 neonates. Neonates in whom SWMA were present at chest closure had more segments involved than those in whom SWMA were transient (P > 0.001). Neonates with SWMA at chest closure had higher cTnI levels postoperatively versus neonates with normal wall motion (P = 0.02). Postoperative ECG data were available in 26 neonates. There was ECG evidence of myocardial ischemia in two of eight neonates with normal wall motion, one of five with transient SWMA, and nine of 13 with SWMA at chest closure. CTnI levels at 12, 24, and 48 h and intraoperative SWMA were predictive of postoperative SWMA. We believe these data indicate that SWMA, which persist at the completion of an arterial switch operation, and which are present in multiple myocardial segments, correlate with myocardial ischemia. Further follow-up of these patients is needed to determine if increased intraoperative myocardial ischemia correlates with long-term outcomes.

Current State of Intraoperative Echocardiography

Intraoperative use of echocardiography is becoming more prevalent and is now considered an essential part of modern cardiac surgery. Echocardiography can be performed intraoperatively using transesophageal, epicardial or epiaortic, and substernal approaches. These techniques have a variety of applications in evaluating myocardial and valvular function, assessing aortic atheroma, and determining adequacy of various kinds of repair and reconstruction. Future applications will most likely involve more compact equipment, the implementation of epicardial and transesophageal real-time three-dimensional echocardiography, and better use of provocative methods of intraoperative testing.

Local cardiac wall stabilization influences the reproducibility of regional wall motion during off-pump coronary artery pass surgery

OBJECTIVE

Myocardial ischemia is a risk factor during off-pump coronary artery bypass procedures. The development of new regional wall motion abnormalities assessed by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a very sensitive sign of myocardial ischemia. To facilitate anastomosis, the epicardial area of the anastomosis site is often immobilized by a "stabilizer." This study was designed to investigate whether cardiac wall stabilization with an epicardial stabilizer could affect the interpretation of wall motion during coronary anastomosis without cardiopulmonary bypass.

METHODS

The TEE videotapes of 15 adult patients were investigated. Left ventricular (LV) transgastric short and long axis views were divided according to a modified 16-segment method. LV wall motion was scored using a 5-grade scale by two independent blinded investigators during pre-occlusion, occlusion, and reperfusion of anastomosed coronary arteries. The wall motion scores of a stabilized segment combined with two adjacent segments were compared with those of non-stabilized segments. Interobserver agreement was assessed using the weighted kappa statistic.

RESULTS

A total of 216 segments were analyzed by two investigators. The interobserver kappa coefficient in pre-occlusion and reperfusion periods was 0.87, 0.87 and 0.86, 0.87, respectively, indicating high agreements without stabilizer. During the occlusion period in stabilized and non-stabilized segments, it was 0.59 and 0.76, respectively, showing significantly less reproducibility in the presence of stabilizer.

CONCLUSION

Cardiac wall stabilization affects the reproducibility in the interpretation of regional wall motion during off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery. Caution should be used when monitoring for myocardial ischemia using TEE during coronary artery bypass surgery with epicardial stabilizer.

Effects of a bolus injection of adenosine triphosphate on atrioventricular conduction and hemodynamics in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) on atrioventricular (A-V) conduction and hemodynamics in patients undergoing coronary artery surgery.

DESIGN

A prospective study.

SETTING

University teaching hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

INTERVENTIONS

Anesthesia was induced with the same dose of intravenous fentanyl (300 microg) and midazolam (10 mg) for each patient. After the baseline measurement, a bolus dose of 10 mg of ATP (0.19+/-0.03 mg/kg, mean +/- SD) was rapidly injected through a central venous catheter. Right ventricular pacing was conducted at a rate of 40 beats/min during the development of complete A-V block.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

ATP induced an A-V block in 10 of 12 patients (2:1 block in two patients and complete A-V block in eight patients). The onset of the A-V block was rapid (17.1+/-3.4 seconds) and the duration was short (12.1+/-7.0 seconds). Radial arterial pressure (AP) decreased with the appearance of the A-V block (p < 0.01). Heart rate (HR) returned to the baseline value quickly after the restoration of the A-V block, but recovery of radial AP was delayed. HR increased 1 minute after the ATP injection (p < 0.01). Both HR and radial AP returned to the baseline values 2 minutes after the ATP injection. ST segments on both leads II and V5 of electrocardiograms decreased more than 0.10 mV 1 minute after the ATP injection in one patient.

CONCLUSION

A bolus injection of 10 mg of ATP successfully induced a transient A-V block in 83% of the 12 patients. The countermeasures, including ventricular pacing, are indispensable to cope with the subsequent hypotension that may lead to myocardial ischemia, especially in patients with ischemic heart disease.