Perioperative myocardial perfusion scintigraphy at rest with technetium 99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile before and after coronary bypass operations.

Eighteen patients were examined at rest by technetium 99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile (99mTc-MIBI) myocardial scintigraphy 1 day before and 1 week after aorto-coronary bypass operation with planar and single photon emission tomography (SPET) imaging. One day postoperatively, a planar scintigraph in the intensive care unit (ICU) was done. Inter-observer variability was 3.8% for all examinations and for SPET alone, 3.9%. The quality of the planar images taken under emergency conditions in the ICU was quite comparable with those taken under routine conditions. The postoperative myocardial infarction in a patient who died 6 days later could clearly be demonstrated. In 16.2% of all segments which were hypoperfused at rest on preoperative scintigraphy, an amelioration of perfusion could be shown in the 1st week after the bypass operation. 99mTc-MIBI proved to be a useful agent to assess perioperative perfusion, in the ICU as well as under standard conditions.