The role of computed tomography in pre-procedural planning of cardiovascular surgery and intervention

Advances in our knowledge of cardiovascular disorders coupled with technological innovations have enabled the increased use of minimally invasive cardiovascular surgeries and transcatheter interventions, with resultant reduced morbidity and hospital stay. Three-dimensional imaging, particularly computed tomography (CT) is increasingly used for patient selection, providing a roadmap of the anatomy and identifying factors that may complicate these procedures. Advantages of CT are the rapid turnaround time, good spatial and temporal resolutions, wide field of view and three-dimensional multi-planar reconstruction capabilities. This pictorial review describes the role of CT in the pre-operative evaluation of patients undergoing cardiovascular surgeries and intervention. Main Messages • CT scan is valuable in pre-operative evaluation for cardiac surgeries • Cardiovascular structures, including bypass grafts should be located >10 mm from the sternum in patients for reoperative cardiothoracic surgeries • Knowledge of variations in pulmonary venous anatomy are essential for planning radiofrequency ablation ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13244-013-0270-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorised users.