Alternative imaging techniques in vascular surgery

Progress in vascular surgery has led to the need for more sophisticated methods of imaging the vascular system. Although conventional contrast angiography is still the primary method of visualizing the vascular system, it has problems and limitations that occasionally render it unsafe or inadequate. When conventional angiography cannot provide the needed information, 3 newer imaging methods - 3-dimensional (3-D) spiral computed tomographic scanning, computed tomographic angiography, and magnetic resonance angiography - are being used more widely to supplement or replace contrast angiography. The advantages, disadvantages, and clinical application of each method will be described. These methods have fundamentally changed the practice of vascular surgery and a thorough knowledge of them is essential.