Quantification of coronary artery bypass graft flow by magnetic resonance phase velocity mapping

Determination of the true coronary artery bypass graft function requires quantification of the flow rate within the graft. The purpose of the present study was to assess the feasibility of characterizing and quantifying graft flow by magnetic resonance phase velocity mapping.

Twenty-seven patients with 41 angiographically patent coronary artery bypass grafts underwent electrocardiographically gated magnetic resonance phase velocity mapping. Imaging was performed at 0.6 Tesla using a surface coil. Velocity maps of the bypass grafts were obtained throughout the cardiac cycle with a temporal resolution of 50 ms and a spatial resolution of 1.9 x 1.2 x 5 mm3, allowing calculation of phasic and mean graft flow.

Adequate flow measurements were obtained in 84% (41 out of 49) of the grafts. Coronary artery bypass graft flow was characterized by a biphasic pattern with a first peak during systole and a second peak during diastole. Average maximum systolic and diastolic velocities over the cross-section of the grafts were 14 +/- 8 cm/s and 15 +/- 9 cm/s, respectively. Mean coronary artery bypass graft cross-sectional area was 0.28 +/- 0.13 cm2. Mean volume flow was 87 +/- 59 ml/min.

Flow in coronary artery bypass grafts can be characterized and measured noninvasively by magnetic resonance phase velocity mapping.