Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
Functional Assessment of the Donor Heart During Ex Situ Perfusion: Insights from Pressure-Volume Loops and Surface Echocardiography
Published on: October 11, 2022
Echographic assessment of visceral perfusion under intra-aortic balloon pump support
Arudo Hiraoka1, Genta Chikazawa1
1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The Sakakibara Heart Institute of Okayama, Japan.
Background:
Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) is a classical mechanical hemodynamic support device. However, the influence of IABP counterpulsation on visceral flow is still undetermined.
Methods:
This prospective study included 33 patients who were treated with the IABP in a single cardiovascular center. Transabdominal echography was used to evaluate blood flow in the visceral branches under IABP support. The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of the IABP counterpulsation on visceral perfusion and identify the risks of visceral arterial compromise.
Results:
Visceral perfusion was significantly increased under IABP support in the abdominal aorta (from 15.4 [12.1-30.4] ml/beat to 28.0 [16.0-48.1] ml/beat, P < 0.001), the celiac artery (from 6.4 [3.6-11.4] ml/beat to 9.5 [3.4-16.6] ml/beat, P < 0.001), the superior mesenteric artery (from 6.6 [4.7-9.1] ml/beat to 9.9 [4.3-12.6] ml/beat, P < 0.001), and the left renal artery (from 2.4 [1.8-5.2] ml/beat to 4.3 [3.2-6.8] ml/beat, P = 0.002). Perfusion flow decreased under IABP support in 8 patients (24.2%) at multiple visceral vessels. Between patients with increased and decreased visceral flow, aortic diameter at the celiac trunk level was significantly smaller (22.5 [20.8-24.0] mm vs. 20.5 [19.6-22.3] mm, P = 0.002).
Conclusion:
Visceral flow pattern was a biphasic pulse under IABP support, and total visceral flow was significantly increased. However, a narrow abdominal aorta can be a risk for decreased visceral perfusion.
