Use of the Doppler Ultrasonic Flowmeter During Arterial Vascular Surgery

Abstract

Ninety-three patients underwent vascular procedures with intraoperative monitoring of blood flow by the ultrasonic flowmeter; eight (8.6%) of these patients required 14 (13.1%) reoperations. There was one death in this group (1.1%). Forty-nine other patients did not have the benefit of this adjunct during operation; 15 (30.6%) of these required 31 (38.7%) reoperations. Nine patients died in the latter group (18.4%). Based on an analysis of 142 patients subjected to vascular operations with and without the use of the Doppler ultrasonic flowmeter at operation, our data indicate that the reoperation and death rates were significantly reduced in those patients on whom intraoperative flow studies were performed.