Cardiac: Bypass grafts

Abstract

CT was used early on for non-invasive imaging of coronary artery bypass grafts (CABGs) in order to determine patency or occlusion because CABGs are generally larger and less mobile than native coronary arteries making them more forgiving imaging targets.1 CABG patency could be determined with > 90% sensitivity and specificity using contrast enhanced single-slice spiral CT. Subsequent generations of CT scanners, particularly since the introduction of multi detector-row CT, have enabled even finer diagnostic assessment.2,3 Thus, CABG evaluation serves as a paradigm for how a diagnostic test can be shifted from an invasive procedure to non-invasive imaging. © 2008 Springer Medizin Verlag Heidelberg.