The Effect of Pulsatile Blood Flow during Proximal Graft, on Liver Function in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Background: Liver dysfunction is a rare complication with high mortality and morbidity rate in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. Pulsatile blood flow probably maintains liver function during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods: In this randomized clinical trial study, 68 patients who underwent CABG surgery were divided into two groups: pulsatile and non-pulsatile groups. We transferred continuous blood flow to pulsatile blood flow during proximal graft by using cardiac contraction. Results: There was no significant difference in Alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) values at variable times between the groups. In addition, the procedure of ALT and ALP in the case and control groups was not significantly different in three days. There was no significant difference between AST values at variable times in two groups. However, the trend of AST in the case group was significantly increased while it was not significantly different in the control group during the next three postoperative days. Conclusion: It seems that hemodynamic stability is more important than type of blood flow in maintaining liver function.