Open AccessPost-operative imaging of pulmonary vessels
Author(s) -
Carlos S. Restrepo,
Daniel Vargas,
Santiago Martínez-Jiménez,
Daniel Ocazionez
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
cardiovascular diagnosis and therapy
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.83
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 2223-3660
pISSN - 2223-3652
DOI - 10.21037/cdt.2018.03.03
Subject(s) - medicine , pulmonary vasculature , intensive care medicine , radiology , pulmonary hypertension
Complications following cardiothoracic surgery are responsible for prolonged hospital stay, increase cost in patient care and increased morbidity and mortality. Vascular complications in particular are significant contributors to poor patient outcome due to either hemorrhage or thrombosis and ischemia. Evaluation of vascular complications in the postoperative patient requires a rapid and reliable imaging approach. Vascular complications after cardiothoracic surgery include pulmonary artery thrombosis, pseudoaneurysm, pulmonary vein thrombosis, vascular fistulas, stenosis and infarction. Multidetector CT (MDCT), often the imaging modality of choice, offers a one-stop-shop capability to visualize the entire cardiothoracic vasculature, airways, lung parenchyma, mediastinum and chest wall with excellent temporal and spatial resolution.