[Assessment of coronary bypass surgery by continuous ventricular function monitoring]

The sequential change of left ventricular function during exercise and recovery after exercise was assessed in 50 patients who had undergone coronary bypass surgery before and after the operation by means of continuous ventricular function monitoring system (VEST). Cardiac response was divided into 4 types with respect to the profiles of the left ventricular ejection fraction during exercise. Type A continued to increase; type B initially increased but decreased in severe exercise stages; type C did not change during exercise; type D continued to decrease. Most patients showed type C or D before surgery but showed type A after surgery. 9 patients with occluded grafts or ungrafted coronary arteries showed type B, C or D. Two patients with extended infarction and poor left ventricular function showed type C after surgery. In recovery period after exercise, the ejection fraction showed an overshoot. The mean ratio of peak ejection fraction during recovery to ejection fraction at rest increased from +62 +/- 12% before operation to +68 +/- 16% after operation (p less than 0.05). The recovery time after exercise was decreased from 195 sec before operation to 98 sec after operation (p less than 0.01). VEST revealed response of left ventricular function during exercise and recovery after exercise as far as detail abnormalities.