New semiautomated Doppler method for quantification of volumetric flow: intraoperative validation with multiplane...

We have validated a new semiautomated method for quantification of volumetric flow applied to multiplane transesophageal color Doppler mapping. This Doppler technique assumes only the incompressibility of the fluid and includes variations of flow area. By computing velocity vectors across a surface normal to the point of scanning, volumetric flow can be measured independently of the angle of incidence between the ultrasonic beam and the direction of blood flow. Mitral valvular flow rate was measured during surgery by transesophageal color Doppler echocardiography in 27 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting at 45 sets of observations. The results were compared with those obtained by the thermodilution technique. The mean of the differences between the thermodilution technique and color Doppler echocardiography was 0.06 +/- 0.866 L/min for the mitral valvular flows (mean of differences [thermodilution-color Doppler] &/- 2 SDs of differences). Thus mitral valvular volumetric flow measured by this color Doppler method showed a close agreement to the thermodilution technique during surgery.