The feasibility of measuring renal blood flow using transesophageal echocardiography in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Background: There is no reliable method to monitor renal blood flow intraoperatively. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility and reproducibility of left renal blood flow measurements using transesophageal echocardiography during cardiac surgery.

Methods: In this prospective noninterventional study, left renal blood flow was measured with transesophageal echocardiography during three time points (pre-, intra-, and postcardiopulmonary bypass) in 60 patients undergoing cardiac surgery.