ABSTRACT
Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is usually
performed in patients with advanced coronary artery
disease (CAD). Recurrence of angina pectoris in these
patients is a common problem, and early graft occlusion is
described in up to 23% of all patients,1 with a large number
of patients developing angina pectoris within the initial
three months. Surgical revascularization is done usually
with either arterial or venous grafts or the combination
of both. Arterial grafts (left or right internal mammarian
artery or free arterial grafts) are preferable as they have
a higher graft patency rate than venous grafts in short-
and mid-time follow-up.2 Five years after coronary
artery bypass surgery approximately 90% of arterial
grafts are patent, in contrast to 80% of venous grafts. The
gold standard for direct visualization of coronary artery ves-
sels is invasive X-ray coronary angiography. However, due
to its invasive character and possible complications, there is
a need for non-invasive tools to assess coronary artery bypass
vessels.
