Assessment of preoperative and postoperative left ventricular function in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting using 2d echocardiography and 2d strain echocardiography

Objectives: Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is a commonly used imaging modality both before and after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. In recent years, novel assessment methods such as speckle-tracking echocardiography have become increasingly utilized. This study aimed to evaluate global and regional left ventricular function before and after CABG surgery using 2D echocardiography, including strain measurements. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective, single-center, observational study. A total of 57 patients undergoing CABG surgery were included after obtaining informed consent. Each patient underwent TTE—including segmental and global longitudinal strain analyses—along with biochemical assessments and clinical evaluations both preoperatively and at the third postoperative month. Results: Postoperative evaluations revealed improvements in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), segmental longitudinal strain (SLS), and global longitudinal strain (GLS). In the subgroup with impaired GLS postoperatively, longer intensive care unit stays and hospitalizations were observed. Functional improvement was noted not only at the sites of complete surgical revascularization but also in other myocardial regions. A perfect correlation between LVEF and strain analysis was not observed. Furthermore, patients with low preoperative LVEF demonstrated greater improvement in strain values compared to those with normal LVEF following complete surgical revascularization. Conclusion: Our study showed that complete surgical revascularization resulted in functional improvement in both GLS and SLS measurements of the left ventricle. This improvement was more pronounced in patients with low preoperative LVEF and extended beyond the revascularized regions, positively affecting other myocardial segments as well. We believe that incorporating strain echocardiography into routine follow-up of CABG patients, alongside conventional echocardiography, may enable more sensitive monitoring of cardiac function and contribute meaningfully to clinical care.