Effects of Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumping on Graft Flow in Coronary Surgery: An Intraoperative Transit-Time Flowmetric Study

IABP assist significantly increases graft flow and also diastolic components of flow. The degree of increase is greater in the in-situ LITA supplying the left anterior descending artery than in A-C grafts anastomosed to other coronary arteries. IABP increases the diastolic component more in A-C grafts than in in-situ LITAs, probably because of different flow characteristics of the two grafts.