Coronary flow measurements for evaluation of patients after stent implantation

4. Conclusions

In the present study breath hold MR flow measurements and MR flow measurements during free patient breathing using adaptive navigator motion correction to minimize breathing artifacts were performed in patients after stent implantation. The measurement technique was previously validated in comparison to invasive Doppler flow measurements and a good correlation was found. It was possible to determine flow non invasively in 78% of the patients. Results were reproducible after 3 months.

Magnetic resonance flow measurements allow the non invasive determination of coronary blood flow velocities after stent implantation. Thus, coronary arteries which cannot be adequately visualized with MR imaging can be assessed non invasively with MR flow measurements. Further improvements and increased robustness of the technique are essential for a routine clinical use.