A new experimental approach for monitoring postoperative bypass patency after coronary artery bypass grafting

Little information is known concerning hemodynamic parameters of bypass grafts after open heart surgery during the postoperative period. As there is no easy to use bedside-method for monitoring, we developed a new implantable Doppler probe to measure blood flow velocity with a 20 MHz pulsed Doppler system. The accuracy of this method was proved in a circulatory model and in animal studies. Our conclusion is that the implantable pulsed Doppler system is a sensitive method for monitoring small vessel hemodynamics.