[Cineradiographical studies of local ventricular motility before and after aorto-coronary bypass (author's transl)]

The purpose of this study was to observe the effect of surgical revascularization on the motility of the left ventricular segment distal to a high grade coronary stenosis. In 17 patients with LAD bypass local relative segment shortening lambda (lambda = diastolic length - systolic length/diastolic length X 100) was determined measuring the distances of coronary bifurcations and surgically implanted myocardial metal markers frame by frame in high speed cineradiography. A group of 14 patients whose angina pectoris was abolished after operation and where bypass proved to be patent showed significant increase of lambda within the first postoperative days (lambda preop. = 3,4 +/- 18,3 SD, lambda postop. = 18,9 +/- 8,0 SD, p less than 0.05). Paradoxical movement had disappeared in 4 cases. In the following two-monthly controls up to one year no significant further alterations of local motility were seen. Three patients with persisting angina did not show any increase of segment shortening. It is concluded that aorto-coronary bypass surgery can restore impaired local motility in the majority of patients. The method described is useful for repeated non-invasive controls of the success of operation.