The value of 201Tl myocardial scintigraphy and of computed tomography for predicting the effectiveness of coronary artery bypass surgery

50 male patients with stenosing coronary artery sclerosis and an indication for coronary artery bypass surgery were subjected to pre- and postsurgical 201Tl scintigraphy and postsurgical computed tomography. Control by angiography was carried out in six cases. Scintigraphy revealed an improved myocardial perfusion in 30 patients, whereas it was unchanged in 15 and deteriorated in 5 patients. Angiography exhibited two cases of graft occlusion, one case of bad run off, and two cases of progressing arteriosclerosis under intact graft. Computed tomography showed that 83 bypasses of the 50 patients were occluded in 6 cases, which was confirmed by angiography in 3 cases. The investigation demonstrates the high value of the two non-invasive methods for the control of bypass patency. (author)