Determination of Early Graft Patency Using CT Angiography after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Choi, Jong Bum; Lee, Mee Kyung; Ryu, Dae Woong; Choi, Soon Ho

Abstract

BACKGROUND: CT angiography is now available to evaluate the early graft patency after coronary bypass surgery. We investigated whether patency or occlusion of the bypass grafts can be visualized by CT angiography and what factors effect the visuality. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Fifty patients underwent scanning with a 4-slice computed tomographic scanner (Somatom Volume ZoomTM; Siemens, Germany) before being discharged after coronary artery bypass grafting. To evaluate graft patency and relationship between the quality of graft image and the characteristics of the diseased coronary vessels, 50 internal thoracic artery grafts, 18 radial artery grafts, and 56 vein grafts were included in this study. RESULT: All vein grafts (24 grafts; 32 anastomoses) to left coronary artery system were well visualized, but 3 grafts (4.7%) of 30 vein grafts (35 anastomoses) to right coronary artery system were not visualized. The latter was also occluded in invasive coronary angiographic study. Thirty-nine (78%) internal thoracic artery grafts were well visualized, 8 (16%) faintly visualized, and 3 (6%) not visualized, but all the internal artery grafts were well patent in invasive coronary angiographic study.
CONCLUSION
Unvisualized vein grafts in CT angiography means occlusion of the grafts, but unvisualized arterial grafts in CT angiography may not mean occlusion of the graft but result from competitive flow between the graft and coronary artery. To confirm patency of the unvisualized arterial grafts, invasive coronary angiography is needed.