Dobutamine-201Tl imaging. Assessing cardiac risks associated with vascular surgery.
The prevalence of coronary artery disease among patients considered for vascular surgical reconstructive procedures is appreciable though often clinically not apparent. One hundred and twenty-six patients underwent dobutamine-201Tl imaging (DTI) in preparation for vascular reconstruction. Fifty-four patients (43%) had a normal study and underwent vascular reconstruction, with one postoperative myocardial ischemic event (1.8%). 30 patients (24%) had a fixed defect present on DTI, which was indicative of prior infarction. Twenty-eight of these 30 patients underwent vascular reconstruction, with three postoperative myocardial ischemic events (11%, p = NS). The presence of a fixed defect on DTI did not significantly increase the risk of ischemic events in patients undergoing vascular procedures. Forty-two (33%) patients had reperfusion of their defects on DTI, which was indicative of myocardial ischemia. Fifteen of these 42 (36%) were denied vascular reconstruction. Nine of the 42 (21%) had either coronary artery bypass graft surgery or coronary angioplasty performed before vascular reconstruction without any postoperative myocardial ischemic events. The remaining 18 patients with reversible ischemia identified by DTI underwent vascular reconstruction without preoperative cardiac intervention, and nine of these 18 (50%) suffered a postoperative myocardial ischemic event (p less than 0.0001). Although there was a difference in the incidence of ischemic events among patients undergoing peripheral vascular compared with aortic reconstruction (71% versus 36%), if there was reversible ischemia identified on DTI this did not reach statistical significance. DTI is a reliable screening test that allows for an accurate means of predicting cardiac risks associated with vascular reconstruction, as well as identifying patients that might benefit from further cardiac evaluation and preoperative intervention.
Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425.
B M
BM
Elliott
J G
JG
Robison
J L
JL
Zellner
G H
GH
Hendrix
D000368:Aged; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004280:Dobutamine; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes
D013794:Thallium Radioisotopes; D004280:Dobutamine