RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Various studies in progress on the flow and diameter parameters based assessment and suitability of internal mammary artery by preoperative colour Doppler examination in coronary artery surgery. Postoperative visualisation of these grafts is also in evolution. Due to its noninvasive approach, colour Doppler sonography is taking its place in the follow-up of coronary artery bypass procedure. The aim of this study was to show the effectiveness and feasibility of colour Doppler in the routine postoperative follow-up evaluation. METHODS: In GATA Haydarpasa Education Hospital, coronary artery bypass grafting was performed by anastomosing left internal mammary artery to left anterior descending artery and saphenous veins to remaining lesions of the coronary 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 mammary artery were imaged by colour Doppler six to eight weeks after the operations in all cases. Coronary angiography was also performed in two 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 internal mammary artery (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: These results shows that colour Doppler sonography should be applied as a noninvasive method, in the follow-up of internal mammary artery grafts after coronary artery revascularisation.