Role of Computerized Tomography in Evaluation of Coronary Bypass Grafts—Special Reference to Women

• Published in: Indian Journal of Cardiovascular Disease in Women - WINCARS Vol. 5; no. 1; pp. 57 - 64
• Main Authors: Patnaik, Sujata, Murty, Sri Rama, Rao, Amaresh, Rammurti, Susarla
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: A-12, Second Floor, Sector -2, NOIDA -201301, India Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Private Ltd 01.02.2020
• Subjects: Review Article; arterial graft; CT-coronary angiography; venous graft; graft failure; coronary-bypass graft
• ISSN: 2455-7854; 2455-7854
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1708574

Abstract Computerized tomography-coronary angiography (CT-CAG) is gaining popularity as an alternative to conventional CAG to evaluate grafts in a post-coronary artery bypass graft (post-CABG) patient, since it is a noninvasive procedure and is less influenced by cardiac motion. The primary challenge is to image a rapidly beating heart. With introduction of 64-slice scanner, the coronary imaging became a possibility with acceptable accuracy. In recent years, with the development of 128,256 and 320 multislice CT scanners, further enhancement in the temporal and spatial resolution is achieved due to lesser influence of the respiratory and cardiac motion, enhancing the accuracy of the lesion assessment in the grafts and the native vessels. Achieving low heart rate and artifact-free image acquisition, proper reconstruction, and image interpretation are challenges to the radiologists and the technicians involved in coronary imaging. Women pose special subset because of smaller sized coronary vessels, interference due to breast shadows, low-referrals, and gender-specific reluctance to accept the procedure itself. Cardiologists and radiologists caring for these patients must be familiar with the pros and cons of CT-CAG and gender-specific challenges.