Importance of measurement of the diameter of the aorta during peroperative blood flow monitoring

For several Years we have proposed a noninvasive ultrasonic method to measure blood flow in thoracic aorta using a dedicated intraesophageal probe. This method was improved by the development of a new flowmeter including a device for continuous measurement of the diameter of the aorta. Clinical use of this technique during peroperative monitoring showed sizeable diameter changes and their influence on blood flow measurement.