Intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as an outpatient screening method for the follow-up of graft patency in coronary surgery.

In order to determine whether intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography (= DSA) is a suitable screening method to visualise graft patency and to determine whether DSA can be performed on an outpatient basis, we studied 73 patients shortly after coronary bypass surgery. In two patients DSA was precluded due to technical problems. The patency of the grafts was adequately visualised by means of DSA in 68 of the remaining 71 patients. During the DSA procedure complications occurred in two patients without serious consequences and bleeding at the puncture site was not observed in any patient whether mobilised at 24 or only 2 hours. We conclude that intra-arterial DSA is a suitable screening method to visualise patency in coronary bypass grafts and that it can be performed safely on an outpatient basis.