Coronary artery bypass graft markers

Last revised by Yuranga Weerakkody on 16 Nov 2021

Coronary artery bypass graft markers are radiopaque markers placed at the proximal origin of coronary artery bypass grafts from the ascending aorta. The purpose of these is to make subsequent coronary angiography easier by indicating the location of the graft origin. 

Markers may be metallic rings, radiopaque strands of swab 1, or a ligature clip placed on the adventitia of a vein graft 2. These will project over the ascending aorta on plain radiography, or be closely related to the surface of the ascending aorta on cross-sectional imaging. 

Markers, though not universally used, have been shown to reduce contrast usage and fluoroscopy time in subsequent coronary angiography without a significant difference in patency rates 1

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