Non-invasive assessment of coronary artery bypass grafts - an update

The limited lifetime and the correlation between graft occlusion and recurring symptoms underline the need for repeated imaging of coronary artery bypass grafts. CT and MRI allow for noninvasive imaging of coronary bypasses with high accuracies concerning the patency of these vessels. Multidetector CT seems to be the CT technique of choice, especially after the introduction of 16 slice CT scanners for morphologic assessment of coronary artery bypass grafts. Compared with MRI, CT is a robust technique for assessment of cardiac anastomoses, native coronary arteries, and for the detection of graft stenoses. MRI, however, is able to deliver functional information about the grafts and the recipient coronary arteries by determining the coronary flow reserve. Furthermore, it can be integrated in a multiparametric MR examination protocol. The follow-up of asymptomatic patients can primarily be done by these non-invasive techniques as nearly every third patient reveals an asymptomatic bypass occlusion 5 years after operation. Furthermore, patients with atypical complaints after the operation may undergo non-invasive imaging as long as documented patency of the bypass averts coronary angiography. Patients with recurrent angina pectoris and/or myocardial ischemia discovered by other cardiologic tests have to undergo coronary angiography.