THE IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF THE OCCLUSION OF THE CORONARY VEINS ON COLLATERAL BLOOD FLOW IN THE CORONARY ARTERIES

Abstract

It was established after acute coronary sinus ligation that: The peripheral coronary backflow is markedly elevated in the ramus descendens anterior (up to 39 cc. per min.), but not in the right coronary. The maximum retrograde flow is reached in from 10 to 30 mins. and following sinus release does not immediately return to the control backflow figure (maximum of approximately 1.0 cc. per min.). The blood is highly un-saturated, containing only 3 to 4 vols. % O. Such a vol. of blood with its low O content is not sufficient to prevent failure of contraction when central occlusion of a coronary ramus is added to sinus ligation and hence is of no material value to the potentially infarcted myocardial area.