Intraoperative Echocardiographic Evaluation of Pulmonary Vein Velocities and Outcomes in Lung Transplantation

Lung transplantation surgery can be fraught with a multitude of early as well as delayed complications leading to increased morbidity and mortality. During lung transplant surgery, trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE) is routinely used to identify cardiac anatomy and measure blood flow through the pulmonary veins. This blood flow is assessed both before and after the lung has been transplanted. Blood flow through these small caliber vessels can be impacted by many variables with a resulting reduction in blood circulating to the lung, although currently there is no agreement on an acceptable level of flow. This study will look at retrospective data from lung transplant surgeries undertaken at this institution since Jan 1st 2014 until November 18th 2016 with the goal of determining if an association exists between levels of blood flow through the pulmonary veins and the incidence of graft dysfunction post operatively.