Significance of early angiographic follow-up after internal thoracic artery anastomosis in coronary surgery.

The authors report about the radiological checking of the patency of the internal thoracic artery transplant in 75 patients with coronary artery disease, using intraarterial DSA in the early postoperative phase (between 6th and 8th postoperative day). The left or the right brachial artery was punctated and the contrast medium was injected at a dosage of 50 ml in counter-current. Only one angiogram series per patient was necessary to appraise the anastomosis and the perfusion of the bypass applied. In 5 patients a stenosis and in 4 patients an occlusion of the transplant could to be diagnosed. Early postoperative angiography enables quality control. In case of occlusion reoperation may be indicated.