Relationship between echocardiographic index of ventricular filling pressure and intraoperative haemodynamic changes during off-pump coronary bypass surgery

Abstract

Background: The ratio of mitral velocity to early-diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus (E/e′) is an indicator of diastolic function representing acute loading conditions of the left ventricle. We tested the efficacy of E/e′ as a predictor of haemodynamic derangement during off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB), when heart displacement causes loading changes. Methods and results: Fifty patients with left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction ≥50% were divided into two groups; E/e′<8 (normal LV filling pressure, n=25) and >15 (increased LV filling pressure, n=25). Haemodynamic measurements were recorded after induction of anaesthesia, during grafting, and after sternum closure. Patients' characteristics and operative data were similar between the groups. Cardiac index and mixed venous oxygen saturation were significantly lower during grafting and after sternum closure in the E/e′>15 group, compared with E/e′<8 group and with the baseline values. The E/e′>15 group required significantly longer ventilation time and length of stay in the intensive care unit. Conclusions: Even in patients with preserved systolic LV function, patients with E/e′>15 were more prone to undergo a significant decrease in cardiac output during OPCAB, which did not return to baseline level after completion of grafting. Whether this finding is associated with increased morbidity and mortality should be validated. © The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia 2009. All rights reserved.