Follow-up after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair: the plain radiograph has an essential role in surveillance.
Periodic follow-up is mandatory for patients with aortic stent-grafts. Central to surveillance is the establishment of a baseline against which changes can be detected. Computed tomography (CT) has been the benchmark of follow-up imaging for endografts, but comparison of serial AP and lateral plain radiographs will detect structural alterations that can be missed on CT scans. In this review, we illustrate these common endograft complications and the value of plain radiographs in their detection. We believe that the plain radiograph should be the cornerstone of aortic endograft surveillance. However, a standardized protocol should be used to avoid parallax and positioning errors that affect interpretation.
Fearn
Shirley
S
Centre for Health Services Research, School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia.
Lawrence-Brown
Michael M D
MM
Semmens
James B
JB
Hartley
David
D
D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography; D015607:Stents