Dipyridamole-Thallium Scintigraphy and Gated Radionuclide Angiography to Assess Cardiac Risk before Abdominal Aortic Surgery

Abstract

The presence of definite clinical evidence of coronary artery disease and older age were the most important preoperative predictors of an adverse cardiac outcome after abdominal aortic surgery. These results suggest that the routine use of dipyridamole-thallium SPECT and radionuclide angiography for screening before abdominal aortic surgery may not be justified.