Microcirculatory myocardial/ subepicardial blood flow in patients with aortal disease before and after repair

Microcirculatory blood flow (MBF) was intraoperatively studied in 15 patients with III-IV Class aortal stenosis (AS) and aortal insufficiency (AI) located mostly on the myocardium and subepicardium of different chambers of the heart before and after surgical repair of the aortal disease (AD). Use was made of BLF-21 "Transonic System Inc" laser-Doppler flow meter and a personal computer. ECG data were recorded: a pressure gradient between the aorta and left ventricle (LV), as well as the size of cardiac chambers. A myo-/epicardial ratio of MBF in the left and right ventricle (RV) before and after repair was estimated. In patients with AD myocardial MBF in LV and RV significantly exceedув subepicardial MBF by 1.5 times both before and after repair. Postoperatively subepicardial MBF tended to decrease in all parts of the heart, except LV where MBF had a tendency to increase.